Schools act to avoid holiday problem
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on June 3, 2008 1:48 PM
Memorial Day will be a holiday on the schools' calendar next year, officials said at Monday's school board meeting.
Marvin McCoy, assistant superintendent for human resources, introduced the amendment to the 2008-09 school calendar, which included adding an annual leave day for teachers on April 10 for Good Friday.
Memorial Day next year will be May 25. It originally had been slated as a regular school day.
Problems with this year's holiday being an "optional" day off from school evoked mixed responses from the community. Military families and veterans were especially vocal, prompting officials to make Memorial Day a holiday.
The trade-off, however, was that students and staff had to go to school for a half day on Saturday, May 31, to comply with the required number of instructional days.
McCoy said that by making Memorial Day a holiday next year, it will shift the last day of school to June 9.
"It will stay within (state) compliance and board policy," he explained.
Dr. Steven Taylor, superintendent of schools, said the change was made after the document was sent back to the calendar committee and each of the schools.
"Even with Good Friday, an overwhelming majority came back with our recommendations," McCoy said.
The school board unanimously approved the change.
"I thought it was a good compromise," Taylor said. "And we will not have the issues we had this year."