Local News
Cox working on calendar
Marc Valero | Highlands Today
Published: January 21, 2013
SEBRING - Superintendent Wally Cox wanted the school board to delay its vote Tuesday on next year's school calendar to afford him more time for revisions to benefit teachers and parents.Published: January 21, 2013
"Looking at some of the board's priorities, I would really like to have some additional time before we act on early release days," Cox told the board. He also wanted to look at bringing back planning time for secondary teachers.
He noted the connection between the planning time and the number of early release days.
Additional early release days were placed on the calendar to somewhat offset the reduction in planning time about four years ago when the district cut teaching positions due to budget cuts.
The proposed 2013-14 school calendar included 19 early release days.
Cox said he will be talking to the middle and high school principals about planning time in the hopes of reducing the number of early release days.
School board member Bill Brantley said he had received many calls from parents who didn't like the high number of early release days.
To bring back a planning period within the school day would require 38 new teaching positions, 21 at the high school level and 17 at the middle schools, Cox told Highlands Today on Friday.
The cost would be $1.51 million for the high school positions and $800,000 for the middle school teaching positions, which includes cutting a paraprofessional position at each school, which was added to provide break time for teachers, he said.
Cox said he hopes to have the calendar finished so the board can vote on it at the Feb 12 school board meeting and principals can start planning for the 2013-14 school year.
At Tuesday's school board meeting, Cox noted the dates have been finalized for the first and last day of school and Christmas break. Also, dates for spring break, which was coordinated with South Florida State College are finalized.
Following are those key dates:
mvalero@highlandstoday.com (863) 386-5826