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Good Friday school day approved in Hillsborough County

School board adopts secular calendar

News Channel 8 photo by ANTHONY ALLRED

Mike McManus kisses daughter Megan, a Carrolwood Elementary student, and listens to Hillsborough County School Board discuss the Good Friday issue.

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By COURTNEY CAIRNS PASTOR | The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 19, 2009

Updated: 05/19/2009 04:56 pm

TAMPA - Hillsborough County students will have school scheduled on Good Friday the next two years.

The school board voted this afternoon to stick with a secular calendar for the 2009-10 and 2010-11 school years and will hold school on Good Friday both years.

Board member Jennifer Faliero was the only one to vote against the recommendation, saying the Hillsborough County school district had enough data to show that it was a bad idea to hold classes on the Christian holiday. High absenteeism caused problems in 2008, the last time the district had school on Good Friday. This year, Good Friday fell during spring break.

Other board members said they wanted to get more data from additional years before deciding to give students off on Good Friday.

The last time Hillsborough County public schools scheduled classes on Good Friday, almost 60 percent of students were absent. In addition to the students, teachers and bus drivers stayed home in droves in 2008.

Many families either want to have off on that day for religious reasons or to travel for Easter.

The calendars the school board approved go later into June. School will start on Aug. 25 this year and end on June 10, 2010. The following year classes will begin on Aug. 24, with students released June 9, 2011.

Reporter Courtney Cairns Pastor can be reached at (727) 451-2343.

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