Carroll schools make calendar changes

HILLSVILLE — The Carroll School Board added two days back to the school year for the two missed, and students should officially begin summer after May 15.
At the March 13 meeting, the school board officially adopted the calendar for the 2012 year, which is to begin for students Aug. 8.
This action followed an initial discussion of calendar items at the February meeting.
Assistant Superintendent Strader Blankenship explained when asking for calendar approval March 13 that the staff has had a chance to review the 2013 school year dates. “I’ll be honest with you, I had no comment from anybody, which is highly unusual for this calendar,” he said.
So the parents are the only ones complaining, School Board Member Sandy Hendrick asked. As a parent, he understood that parents could feel Aug. 8 is too soon to go back to school.
It’s necessary to start in August in order to fit the first semester in before the Christmas break, School Board Chairman Brian Spencer noted.
“Those who have been critical of the early start will be very supportive of the early [dismissal of this year of school],” Superintendent Greg Smith said.
School will end on May 15, Blankenship said.
That’s necessary for the one snow day missed and the day off that the students got for the state Republican primary, educators explained.
Graduation will still take place on May 12, as discussed in February.
Hendrick wondered if the school system will be able to justify its before Labor Day opening with only one snow day.
Smith said that, including an average of snow days for several years, Carroll County will still be able to justify an early opening.
Smith noted that around 80 school systems around the state qualify for the before Labor Day opening.