At the March 2021 Board of Education meeting, the administration provided two 2021-2022 academic calendars proposed by the district along with the feedback that we collected from staff and families. This feedback included comments that suggested that there is a desire to have a calendar that ends first semester before the Christmas holiday. Creating a calendar like this is a challenge because the North Carolina general statute (115C-84.2) that dictates school calendars is very restrictive (see below). Under the current legislation, an academic calendar that ends first semester before the holidays creates an unequal distribution of days between first semester and second semester.
The Board of Education received that feedback and, based upon it, asked administration to create another calendar option and gather input again from our stakeholders. That second round of feedback will be based on this survey.
The feedback from this survey will be shared with the Board of Education for their consideration in adopting a calendar for the upcoming school year. Please understand THIS IS NOT A VOTE, but a means of sharing feedback to inform the Board's decision.
When creating a school calendar, local school districts are required to adhere to General Statute 115C-84.2. According to NC School Calendar Legislation, school calendars must meet certain criteria.
Below is a highlight of some of the legislation:
· Earliest day to start is the Monday closest to August 26.
· Last day of school can be no later than the Friday closest to June 11.
· Covers at least nine calendar months.
· Must have a minimum of 185 days OR 1,025 hours of instruction.
· Teacher contracts must cover 215 days.
Any changes made by the General Assembly to the school calendar law for the upcoming school year could require a change to our district's school calendar.
Calendar Option 1 is the calendar that received majority support in the initial survey period. (First semester ends and high school final exams are administered in January.)
Calendar Option 2 (First semester ends and high schools final exams are administered before winter break in December, 78 instructional days + 4 exam days for high school in first semester and 92 instructional days + 4 exam days for high school in second semester.)
The survey will close on April 7, 2021. Please complete the survey here.
