The Jackson County Board of Education is slated to vote on the proposal on Monday, June 14, at 6 p.m.
The Jefferson City School System is considering adding 10 furlough days to its 2010-2011 calendar, while the Commerce City School shortened its year for teachers and students by 10 days.
For the Jackson County School System, the 176-day calendar for students will create an entire week of vacation for Thanksgiving and an additional day off for Christmas break.
“That will be widely popular — that Monday and Tuesday (off) for Thanksgiving,” said superintendent Shannon Adams at Tuesday’s board meeting.
The adjusted calendar will shift four student days to vacation days: Monday, Nov. 22; Tuesday, Nov. 23; Monday, May 23; and Tuesday, May 24.
And, four teacher work days will also be changed to vacation days: Friday, Oct. 8; Friday, Dec. 17; Tuesday, March 15; and Wednesday, May 25.
The eight-day reduction for certified and classified employees won’t affect bus drivers, paraprofessionals or food service workers.
They’ll have their schedules reduced by four days. Parapros already had their workload reduced by eight days in a previous budget cut.
The move, however, still leaves three days for teacher pre-planning at the start of the school year and two days of post-planning after students leave for the summer.
The 2010-2011 school year starts on Thursday, Aug. 5, and ends on Friday, May 20, for Jackson County School System students.
The revised calendar will also include early release days for elementary and middle school students on Wednesday and Thursday, Nov. 10-11, and Tuesday and Wednesday, Feb. 8-9. High school students won’t have early release days.
Inclement weather make-up days will be designated for the week of Spring Break — set for April 4-8. If those days are needed, it’ll mean a shorter vacation that week for students and teachers.
“Everybody would have to know upfront that’s a possibility, too,” said board chairperson Kathy Wilbanks.
And depending on revenue, the 2010-2011 school year calendar could be amended again, Adams warned.
However, the superintendent said he doesn’t favor shortening the school calendar and prolonging the instruction day for students – as some districts in Georgia are considering.
“That means a longer school day and I’m just against that,” he said.
With the revised calendar, the school system won’t trim its share of the local salary supplement by two percent next school year, Adams said.
Several school administrators at Tuesday’s board meeting said teachers favored the eight-day reduced calendar instead of salary cuts.
The board members also seemed to favor the proposal.
After next Monday’s vote, the revised school calendar is expected to be posted on the district’s website —
www.jackson.k12.ga.us.