School board hears calendar proposal
January 13, 2010
By Administrator
NEW — 1:10 p.m. Jan. 13, 2010
Students might start school before Labor Day and end in early June, if the Snoqualmie Valley School Board approves the recommended calendar option at its Jan. 21 meeting.
Deputy Superintendent Don McConkey presented the recommendations of the Calendar Committee at the Jan. 7 school board meeting. Normally, the board approves next year’s calendar in early spring, but the district acted sooner after receiving a cascade of calls from parents asking for school calendar dates.
The committee looked at its options, using data from a parent survey and input from the teachers’ and secretaries’ unions. The spring 2009 survey had a 10 percent response rate, meaning the district sent it to 4,000 parents and 400 replied.
The survey indicated that 68 percent of parents preferred school begin before Labor Day.
It also asked parents if they preferred an eight- or 10-day winter break, and how they felt about the length of mid-winter break.
The survey showed parents preferred a longer winter break, but responses were split about mid-winter break.
“I don’t know what they’re asking, they don’t like mid-winter break, but we asked them several questions and we got a split response,” McConkey said.
The committee opted to keep mid-winter break a full week.
The committee recommended that the district continue to not participate in the statewide teach in-service day in October, because few teachers were taking advantage of the state’s classes in Olympia, McConkey said.
The proposed calendars will have students starting and ending school earlier than usual, especially in the proposed 2011-12 calendar.
“This calendar has an even earlier end date than the 2010 calendar, which I believe is positive, in that June school days are typically not the most productive of the school year, and plenty of makeup at the end of the year,” Superintendent Joel Aune said.
Get involved
Weigh in on the calendar: 7:30 p.m. Jan. 21, School district office, 8001 Silva Ave. S.E., Snoqualmie
Proposed 2010-11 calendar
- First day/last day: Aug. 31/June 14
- Winter break: Dec. 20 – Jan. 2
- Mid-winter break: Feb. 21-25
- Spring break: April 4-8
Proposed 2011-12 calendar
- First day/last day: Aug. 30/June 8
- Winter break: Dec. 21 – Jan. 1
- Mid-winter break: Feb. 20-24
- Spring break: April 2-6
Laura Geggel: 392-6434 ext. 221 or lgeggel@snovalleystar.com.
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