By Greg Oliver

Courtesy The Journal

goliver@upstatetoday.com

COUNTY — Public feedback that included the desire for a longer Thanksgiving break and concerns over the impact of summer vacation factored into the Pickens County School Board decision last week to table approval of the 2016-17 calendar.

The calendar was presented to the board by Stephanie Lackey, executive director of human resource services. Lackey told board members input solicited from the community by the school district involved two drafts of the calendar — one with a normal start date the third Monday in August and one with a start date on the second Monday in August.

“There were 92 emails that gave feedback, and 64 supported the normal start date to the school year and 23 for the early start,” Lackey said.

But the instructional committee that developed the calendar, pending a change in state law, instead recommended approving the calendar in which the first day of school for students would be Aug. 8. If the state decides not to change its existing law, the human resource services director said the second recommendation was for the board to approve the normal start calendar in which students would report Aug. 15.

While state law currently requires that schools start no earlier than the third Monday in August, Lackey said discussion has taken place at the state level that, if ultimately approved, would allow an earlier start date.

Not only would students return Aug. 8 under the compromise calendar, three days are allotted for Thanksgiving and the last day of school for students is May 25.

“The normal start calendar would provide three days at Thanksgiving — allowing more instruction in the classroom prior to Christmas Break,” Lackey said.

But Lackey said supporters for a normal start time indicated that an earlier start would conflict with vacation plans and activities, such as band camp, that occur late in the summer.

In addition, a total of 11 respondents expressed support for a weeklong break at Thanksgiving. However, Lackey said the committee ultimately decided to go with a three-day break.

“The recommendation was to get more instruction in before Thanksgiving,” she said, adding a calendar draft that specifically set aside the week of Nov. 21-25 for that holiday meant students would have to go to school until June 6 and teachers until June 7.

But some board members said they have received feedback preferring the weeklong Thanksgiving holiday break.

“I got the most positive feedback for having that week off,” Henry Wilson said. “There’s not a lot going on those two days that will get us better testing.”

Trustee Phillip Bowers agreed, although he admits that both sides of the issue have valid points.

“Parents really like the week off at Thanksgiving and don’t like the half days,” Bowers said. “We also heard from teachers who said having the week off at Thanksgiving, they were never able to get students back on track until Christmas hit and then they had two weeks off.”

Lackey said the committee is faced with developing a calendar that takes into effect state mandates requiring 10 professional development days and fewer days off during March since that is an assessment month for students.

Trustee Alex Saitta, who opposed the calendar options, said he would prefer to see three professional development days at the beginning of the school year, with additional days “sprinkled throughout the year.” Saitta said he felt spring would be a good time “since students tend to get burned out by then.”

The number of half-days in the school calendar is something Saitta would also like to see minimized “because you’re going to get more with the (inclement) weather (resulting in early dismissal during the winter months).”

Board chairperson Judy Edwards then threw out the question to audience members as to which calendar option they preferred, with the Aug. 8 versus Aug. 15 options receiving virtually the same response.

Trustees deadlocked 3-3 on a motion to approve the early start calendar, provided the state amends its current law regarding the start of school, and a normal start date in case the start date remains no earlier than the third Monday in August.

Edwards and trustees Brian Swords and Dr. Herbert Cooper voted in favor of the motion, while Saitta, Wilson and Bowers were opposed.

Instead, the board voted 5-0 (with Edwards abstaining) to send the calendar back to the instructional committee and work out details with administration.