Schools Will Have 20 Early Release Days Next Year

Despite opposition from parents about too many early release days, the School Board of Highlands County approved a 2009-10 calendar that doubles the number of days students will get out of school early.

Taking into account holidays, winter break, spring break, the county fair, the nine-week and semester breaks and teacher work days and more, developing a school calendar is an art and science.

Doubling the early release days from 10 to 20 made the task more difficult this year as four draft calendars were created for the school board to consider.

Superintendent Wally Cox said in January that with the proposed secondary schedule change, additional early release days would help teachers. The seven-period schedule, designed to save money, would cut teaching positions, thus increasing the student workload for teachers, he said.

The board approved one of the draft calendars Monday. The first day of school for students will be on Aug. 24 and the last day on June 4.

Teachers will have 10 day-long teacher workdays, including seven at the start of the school year, instead of the usual five. Teachers will return to work after the summer on Aug. 13.

Nearly all of the student early release days fall on a Wednesday, except for a Thursday on Jan. 28; the last day of school, which is a Friday; and the traditional early release on the last day before winter break, which is Friday, Dec. 18. Students will return to school after the winter break on Jan. 5.

The district office has received a number of calls from parents to confirm the Jan. 28 early release day. That date was chosen as about 250 to 300 students are involved in the county fair livestock show and related events.

Also, Veterans Day, which had been a school holiday, will be an early release day. In 2009, Veterans Day is on Wednesday, Nov. 11.

The entire week of Thanksgiving, Nov. 23-27, will continue to be a holiday for students and teachers.