The Farmington Board of Education approved a revision to the current calendar policy to cause school to start each year on the Monday before Labor Day.
The change was approved 7-1, with Jon Landry opposing.
The revision comes as a result of a review of the calendar, in which a subcommittee looked at ways to improve the calendar and possibly find ways to add professional development time. Board members rejected a proposal to add half-days every other month throughout the school year to allow professional development time. Motions to consider holding school on Veterans and Columbus Day were also rejected.
The full calendar policy is below:
The Superintendent shall publish a school calendar each year using the guidelines below:
1. School will begin the Monday prior to Labor Day.
2. There shall be a full week of February vacation beginning with President’s Day.
3. The December recess shall include December 24 through January 1. If January 2 falls on a Friday, it will be a vacation day.
4. The first day of January shall be a legal holiday, EXCEPT that whenever any of such days (holidays) which are not designated to occur on Monday, occurs upon a Sunday, the Monday next following such day shall be a legal holiday. If a holiday in January or December occurs on a school day, there shall be no session of the public schools on such day.
5. A spring recess will be scheduled during the third week in April.
6. Emergency days (days schools are not open) shall be added as follows:
a. At the end of the school year in June, but shall not exceed five emergency days to be added to the school year in June.
b. If the additional emergency days are required beyond the five described above, the Superintendent will recommend to the Board additional school dates which may include the April vacation dates.
7. The school calendar shall show the beginning and tentative ending dates of school, legal and local holidays, meeting days, number of teaching days, vacation periods and other pertinent dates.
8. The final day before the Thanksgiving recess shall be a shortened day.
9. The Superintendent shall publish a school calendar in December of each year for the succeeding year. That calendar also shall specify the school starting date, vacation weeks and tentative closing date for the year following the year of the published calendar.
10. The Board of Education may declare a holiday in the schools under its jurisdiction when good reason exists.
11. In cases of emergency, the Superintendent can close a school or schools.
12. In cases of emergency, the Board can change the adopted calendar upon recommendation of the Superintendent.
