TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Hillsborough's 2009-10 School Calendar Still In Flux

ADVERTISEMENT

By MARILYN BROWN

mbrown@tampatrib.com

Published: November 19, 2008

TAMPA - Don't create a school calendar for 2009-10 just yet.

In Hillsborough, dates are still fluid – including opening day in August – and likely won't be voted on by the school board until January.

Cutting a day of classes for students next year may mean an extra day of vacation in August. A district committee is proposing a tentative start date of Tuesday, Aug. 25, ending the year Thursday, June 18. The first semester would end after the winter break, possibly Jan. 15.

A full proposal will go to the superintendent, then be hashed out publicly and voted on by the School Board.

The 2009-10 academic year for students was cut from 182 to 181 days during union negotiations in September. Creating a calendar got trickier last year when the state determined public schools cannot open earlier than two weeks before Labor Day.

Wednesday's meeting made it clear that controversial issues resolved for this school year will resurface. In 2010, Good Friday is penciled in as a school day, despite poor student attendance last year. In April 2009, Good Friday falls during Spring Break.

Giving students a day off to attend the State Fair in 2010 could be cut, some committee members said.

"Teachers don't see the point in Fair Day," said Leigh Crosson, a fifth-grade teacher at Bevis Elementary. "People say all of them should do Strawberry Festival Day," the day off for East Hillsborough students instead of Fair Day.

Reporter Marilyn Brown can be reached at (813) 259-8069

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT