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Hoover school board approves 2016-17 school calendar

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Photo by Jon Anderson

The Hoover school board tonight approved a 2016-17 calendar that brings students back from summer break on Aug. 4 and allows for a full week out of school at Thanksgiving.

Faculty overwhelmingly favored that calendar of two options presented to them for a vote, and a majority of parents did, too, Assistant Superintendent Melody Greene told the school board tonight.

School board member Jill Ganus Veitch was the only person to vote against the calendar, saying she was concerned about having such a short summer. Students in sports and band essentially will have to be back at school in mid-July, giving them only a six-week summer, Veitch said.

Greene said there were parents who complained about how early school would be starting but said it’s difficult to get the required 180 instructional days into the school year and keep the two semesters balanced without returning that early in August.

Some were willing to give up a few off days during Thanksgiving week, but 82 percent of teachers and parents wanted to keep that full week out of school, Greene said.

Veitch asked if school officials could implement some “e-days,” or electronic learning days, to allow students to complete some work online over a period of time without physically being at school and return to school a little later in August.

Greene said the “e-days” that had been implemented in the past were very unpopular.

The other 2016-17 calendar that was presented to parents for a vote would have started school on Tuesday, Aug. 9, and provided three weekdays out of school for Thanksgiving (Wednesday-Friday). But Greene said that calendar was less popular.

Here are the key dates for the 2016-17 calendar that was approved tonight:

This essentially was the Option A presented to faculty and parents for a vote, with one change, Greene said. The only change was moving a teacher workday from Oct. 11 to Jan. 3 to give teachers time to get ready for students after the winter break, she said.

Separate vote for 2017-18 school calendar

School employees and parents also have been asked to vote on two calendar options for the 2017-18 school year.

Employees again overwhelmingly favored an option that would start school on Aug. 8, 2017, and include a full week out for Thanksgiving, versus an Option B that would start school on Aug. 14, 2017, and have three weekdays out of school at Thanksgiving, Greene said.

Parents can continue voting on their preferred calendar for 2017-18 until Jan. 15, school system spokesman Jason Gaston said.

Option A would end the first semester on Dec. 20, while Option B would end the semester on Dec. 22.

The rest of the proposed 2017-18 calendars are pretty much the same, including the same week of spring break for 2018 (March 26-30) and students out of school for Labor Day (Sept. 4), a teacher workday on Oct. 9, Veterans Day (Nov. 10), two professional development days for teachers on Feb 19-20, a teacher workday on April 23 and Memorial Day (May 28).

Both of the 2017-18 calendars also would end school on May 23, 2018, with Spain Park High’s graduation on May 22 and Hoover High’s graduation on May 23.

See the complete Option A and Option B calendars for 2017-18. Then go here to vote.

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