Warsaw Community Schools’ calendars for the 2014-15 and 2015-16 school years look very similar. The school board was presented with the 2014-15 final draft and the 2015-16 tentative draft at its public work session Tuesday afternoon. The board will make a decision on the 2014-15 calendar Monday at its regular monthly meeting. The first student day for 2014-15 will be Aug. 12, with the first student day for 2015-16 scheduled for Aug. 11. Both days are the second Tuesday in August. The last student day for 2014-15 is scheduled for May 28, with graduation set for June 5. In the event of excessive snow days, the alternative date for graduation will be June 12. In 2015-16, the last student day is tentatively set for May 25, with graduation set for June 3. In the event of excessive snow days, graduation will be June 10. Kyle Carter, calendar committee member and academic coach, said the only adjustments made to the calendars since they were last presented to the board were with snow makeup days. They were moved to avoid testing windows. For 2014-15, snow makeup days are March 20, May 11 and May 18. In 2015-16, the snow makeup days are March 18, May 9 and May 16. Jay Baumgartner, school board member, asked why Martin Luther King Jr. and Presidents Day weren’t used as snow makeup days. Madison teacher and Calendar Committee member Terry Sims said it was the committee’s position that WCS is in a diverse and growing community, and that one way to be diverse is to celebrate MLK Day. If MLK Day was used as a snow makeup day, Sims said that could send the wrong message. Presidents Day also is a significant day, he said, to honor American presidents. Baumgartner said he was hoping that was the answer that would be given to his question. He then asked why there were so many days between the last student day and graduation and why they couldn’t be used as snow makeup days. Chief Academics Officer David Hoffert said the high school asked for those five days for planning and to try and get more students “across the stage.” Then Baumgartner asked why WCS had MLK and Presidents Days off, but not Good Friday. “The one issue we discussed was how it would affect attendance if it was up against spring break,” Sims replied. He estimated WCS hasn’t taken Good Friday off in 20 years or more. Warsaw’s spring break has always been the first week of April. Spring break for 2014-15 is scheduled for April 6-10, and for 2015-16 is tentatively planned for April 4-8. Sims said personally speaking, if the board wanted to change something like taking Good Friday off as a holiday, he suggested they gather statistics instead of just going by a gut feeling. Any decision should be based on logic. Jennifer Tandy, board president, asked if it was possible to get statistics on people’s preferences for the 2015-16 school year. She said she understood the process already was too far along for 2014-15. Hoffert said they could put another survey out. Other dates of note in the 2014-15 calendar include: fall break, Oct. 23-24; Thanksgiving break, Nov. 27-28; Christmas break, Dec. 22-Jan. 2; MLK Day, Jan. 5; Presidents Day, Feb. 16; and Memorial Day, May 25. Other tentative dates for 2015-16 include: fall break, Oct. 22-23; Thanksgiving break, Nov. 26-27; Christmas break, Dec. 21-Jan. 1; MLK Day, Jan. 4; and Presidents Day, Feb. 15. With the last student day being May 25, Memorial Day does not affect the school-year calendar.
