Voting begins for 2018-19 and 2019-20 calendars for Hoover City Schools

Parents, students and employees in the Hoover school system have two weeks to voice their views about proposed school calendars for the next two years.

School system leaders have developed three options for people to consider for both the 2018-19 school year and 2019-20 school year and are asking people to vote on them.

Each year, two of the calendar options would give students a full week out of school for Thanksgiving, while a third would give them Wednesday through Friday off.

There also are slightly different choices for the first day of school, winter break and teachers’ professional development days.

In 2018, Option A would have students start school on Wednesday, Aug. 8, take a full week break for Thanksgiving, have winter break from Dec. 21-Jan. 3 and return from winter break on Jan. 7, 2019. Teachers would have one professional development day or workday prior to school on Aug. 7 and six more on Oct. 8, Jan. 4, Feb. 18-19, April 19 and May 28.

Option B would have students start school on Friday, Aug. 10, take three days off for Thanksgiving, have winter break from Dec. 19 to Jan. 2 and return to school on Jan. 3, 2019. Teachers would have two professional development days or workdays prior to school on Aug. 8-9 and five more on Oct. 8, Feb. 18-19, April 19 and May 28.

Option C would have students start school on Thursday, Aug. 9, take a full week off for Thanksgiving, have winter break from Dec. 21 to Jan. 3 and return to school on Jan. 7, 2019. Teachers would have two professional development days or workdays prior to school on Aug. 7-8 and five more on Jan. 4, Feb. 18-19, April 19 and May 28.

Spring break for 2019 would be the same (March 25-29) with all three options, and the last day of school would be May 24, 2019.

For the 2019-20 school year, Option A would have students start school on Wednesday, Aug. 7, take a full week off for Thanksgiving, have winter break from Dec. 20-Jan. 3 and return to school on Jan. 6. Teachers would have one professional development day or workday on Aug. 6 and six more on Oct. 14, Jan. 3, Feb. 17-18, April 10 and May 26.

Option B would have students start school on Wednesday, Aug. 7, take three days off for Thanksgiving, have winter break from Dec. 19 to Jan. 2 and return to school on Jan. 3. Teachers would have one professional development day or workday on Aug. 6 and six more on Oct. 11, Oct. 15, Feb. 17-18, April 10 and May 26. Option B also includes an off day for everyone on Oct. 14 for Columbus Day, which would mean a five-day weekend in October for students.

Option C would have students start school on Thursday, Aug. 8, take a full week off for Thanksgiving, have winter break from Dec. 20 to Jan. 3 and return to school on Jan. 6. Teachers would have two professional development days or workdays prior to school on Aug. 6-7 and five more on Jan. 3, Feb. 17-18, April 10 and May 26.

All three options put spring break 2020 on March 23-27 and the last day of school on May 22, 2020.

Assistant Superintendent Tera Simmons said parents, students and employees will have until Friday, Sept. 29, to vote on their favorite calendars for the two years. The links to the calendar options and survey can be found on the school system website.

The school board will be asked to vote on the calendars at the Oct. 17 school board meeting at 5:30 p.m.