Lee Pulaski, lpulaski@shawanoleader.com
The Shawano School Board approved a calendar for the 2014-15 school year Monday.
Adjustments were also made to the current calendar to address the three days when classes were cancelled due to subzero temperatures.
Classes begin Sept. 2, the day after Labor Day, for the 2014-15 school year and finish on June 4, 2015. There is a week set aside for spring break and three extra days built into the calendar in case of bad weather. If another day is needed, the last day of school would move to June 5.
There are also nine half-days for students, giving teachers and staff time to attend professional development workshops. Those dates are Sept. 26, Oct. 23, Nov. 21, Nov. 26, Dec. 12, March 13, April 24, May 22 and June 4.
One thing removed from next year’s calendar is a day designated for parent-teacher conferences. The schools hold their conferences on different days, according to Superintendent Gary Cumberland, and there were no conferences on the designated day for the 2013-14 school year, which led to a lot of confusion for parents.
“We’re trying to make it simple for the parents,” Cumberland said.
After approving the calendar, the board addressed the bad weather days for the current school year. There were two “snow days,” March 17 and April 22, set aside in the calendar. Classes will be held those days, but the district does not have to make up the third day it has already taken, Cumberland said.
The district has enough instructional hours built into the calendar, in accordance with Department of Public Instruction standards, without making up the day, he said.
Board member Michael Sleeper expressed concern that, with a fair amount of winter left, the district could still run into scheduling problems if the schools have to close for additional days.