According to the approved calendar, the next school year starts on Aug. 12, 2013 and ends on June 6, 2014. Teachers will have pre-planning from Aug. 5 to Aug. 9, 2013, and post-planning from June 9 to June 12, 2014. A professional learning day is scheduled for Jan. 3, 2014.
The 2013-14 school year also provides for a fall break from Oct. 14 to Oct. 18, 2013, a Thanksgiving break from Nov. 25 to Nov. 29, 2013, a Christmas break from Dec. 19, 2013, to Jan. 3, 2014, a mid-winter break from Feb. 17 to Feb. 21, 2014 and a spring break from April 21 to April 25, 2014.
“Because of prior budgetary planning, the calendar includes 180 student days and 190 contract days for teachers,” said Superintendent Curtis Jones in a news release. “Time for teacher planning and student instruction is a priority for our district. This calendar reflects the importance we place on restoring planning and instruction time.”
Prior to Jones making his recommendation to the Board of Education, the school system in November posted two school calendar versions on its Web site and asked students, parents, staff and members of the community for their input.
Fifty-five percent of the 855 people who responded to the survey — the vast majority of those being parents of students and school system employees - picked the version that Jones ended up recommending.
A number of survey-takers pointed out in their anonymous comments that they’d like for the school year to start around Labor Day and end no later than Memorial Day, adding that they were willing to do without mid-winter break or spring break to make it happen.
The school system stated in an action memorandum that Aug. 12, 2013 was chosen as the first day of school to give a maximum number of non-school days in the summer months to accommodate the renovation of Griffin High School and to finish the first semester before Christmas.
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