TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

District: Calendar Not Ideal

ADVERTISEMENT

By RONNIE BLAIR

rblair@tampatrib.com

Published: December 7, 2008

LAND O' LAKES - Students in Pasco County schools could have an extra long winter break next year.

Under a proposed 2009-10 academic calendar, students would get 21/2 weeks off around the Christmas and New Year's Day holidays, rather than the usual two-week break.

That's not exactly the way school district officials want it, but they say a late Labor Day in 2009 and other factors forced a calendar committee to make a number of less-than-ideal decisions as it developed a recommendation to send to the Pasco County School Board.

"It was obvious we were going to have a rather difficult task," Assistant Superintendent Renalia DuBose said.

The school board is scheduled to vote Dec. 16 on the 2009-10 calendar. DuBose said the district already is getting calls from parents asking about the calendar.

The major driving force behind the calendar is Labor Day because under Florida law, the school year can't start more than two weeks before the holiday.

"That's created some squeeze for us," DuBose said.

For 2009, the squeeze is even worse because Labor Day falls on Sept. 7, the latest date it can happen. As a result, the first day of school in 2009-10 would be Aug. 24 under the committee's proposal.

The state also requires that students attend a minimum of 81 days before the winter break. To wedge that number of days in, the committee recommended winter break start Dec. 23, 2009, which is a Wednesday.

Students wouldn't return to school until Jan. 11, 2010.

Board member Kathryn Starkey said at a board workshop last week that she didn't like the idea of the extended winter break because it could cause child care issues for parents who traditionally plan for just two weeks around the holidays.

DuBose, though, said the legislative requirements are forcing the district's hand.

"It's a hard one to make everyone happy, and you never do," Superintendent Heather Fiorentino said.

The 2009-10 year would end June 9, 2010, under the proposal. Spring break would be April 5 through April 9, 2010.
DuBose said the calendar committee came up with a few guidelines as it planned the year. The committee members wanted the first semester to end before winter break so high school students could take their final exams before the time off.

The committee also wanted to keep Veterans Day and the Wednesday before Thanksgiving as days off.

The calendar committee is made up of district administrators, school employees, parents and representatives of United School Employees of Pasco.

Reporter Ronnie Blair can be reached at (813) 948-4218.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT