Calendar Committee Seeks Status Quo

By MICHELE SAGER The Tampa Tribune

Published: Oct 12, 2007

TAMPA - Hoping to give students an additional break during the second semester, Hillsborough County parents want to squeeze a long weekend into next year's school calendar.

The suggestion was the only item that would change the recommended 2008-09 school calendar from this year. Members of the school district's calendar committee met Thursday to discuss drafting a proposed calendar. They hoped to replicate this year's calendar to avoid past controversies.

"The cleaner we are in replicating it, the fewer problems we will have," committee Chairwoman Debra Veranth said.

School calendars have been controversial since December 2004, when the spokesman for the local chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations requested the board recognize a Muslim holiday. The ensuing debate drew national attention, and subsequent school calendars continued to be disputed and delayed.

Last year, the board approved a secular calendar, giving no days off for specific religious holidays unless already in a regular semester break. Students can take a school day off to observe a religious holiday without penalty.

Committee members agreed with the notion of replicating this year's school calendar because it hasn't interfered with student attendance. District data showed that more than 95 percent of students attended school on Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and the days that surrounded the holidays.

Officials expect a drop in attendance on Good Friday this school year, which falls on March 21. Veranth said she doesn't want to wait for that attendance data, which would delay the calendar. She thinks the district should wait a couple of years before discussing that issue.

"I have a feeling that some of our employees and families are going to take Good Friday off just because," Veranth said. "Hopefully, if we give it a couple years, it won't be an issue."

The draft has the 2008-09 school year starting Aug. 18 and ending June 5. Students would have a two-week winter break and a weeklong spring break in April.

Two parent committee members wanted to explore the idea of giving a Friday and Monday off in February to create a four-day weekend.

"That's just too long to go without a break," said Plant High parent Caroline Collier. "Some students give up a day [of school] and exam exemptions [given for perfect attendance] just because they need a day off."

Spring break traditionally fell in March but had to be pushed back this year because of later state testing and a later start to the school year because of a change in Florida law.

Veranth said educators are not in favor of moving spring break before the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test because it disrupts preparations. Other factors committee members have to consider when drafting a calendar are the required 182 days of instruction, teacher contracts and finishing the first semester before winter break.

The draft 2008-09 calendar does give students two days off in February for the state fair and Presidents Day, but they don't fall together.

Last year, committee members discussed eliminating fair days but discovered that many students use those days off to compete at fair events. Plus, the Florida State Fair is adding an extra incentive this year by allowing all students to attend the fair free on Fair Day.

Committee members decided to poll the community about days off in February and discuss it at their Nov. 8 meeting.

Reporter Michele Sager can be reached at (813) 865-4843 or msager@tampatrib.com. To view the complete draft of the school calendar, go to TBO.com, keyword: Education.