Board OKs 2019-20 calendar

The Cedar Grove-Belgium School Board last month approved the school calendar for 2019-20, but not without discussion about the final day of school.

The calendar has students starting on Tuesday, Sept. 3, meeting the state law that requires a start date of Sept. 1 or later unless an exception is approved by the Department of Public Instruction.

The final day of school is Tuesday, June  9, later than some area districts.

Board President Chad Hoopman asked about adding minutes to the school day to allow school to get out earlier.

Supt. Jeanne Courneene said that was discussed by the six-member committee that put the calendar proposal together, but it didn’t go anywhere.

Board member Laura Schieffer said a few extra minutes per day gets lost.

“It’s very useless. The learning is greater when you’re looking at a day rather than minutes,” she said. “That’s just what I’ve seen from researching. It’s not so much about the length of the day but the ability to do something quality with the time.”

Hoopman said he understood that but he wondered what the district is getting out of June 8 and 9, the final two days of school.

High School Principal Josh Ketterhagen said it doesn’t matter when school gets out.

“The last day is the last day,” he said, adding that it’s the school’s responsibility to make sure the final two days are still filled with learning.

Hoopman wondered how getting out later than area districts will impact the students, parents and teachers in the district, though he understands that other districts don’t have as many inservice days.

“A lot of schools are out at the end of May already,” he said. “It’s a concern I would have.”

Courneene said “we worked hard to be out June 5. That’s just tough.”

While some districts shortened the winter and spring breaks, she said that wasn’t in the committee’s interest.

“You have to give and take in that scenario,” she said.

Hoopman mentioned that Christmas break is nearly two weeks long, given the way the dates fall. Christmas is on Wednesday, Dec. 25 and New Year’s Day the following Wednesday. Students are off from Monday, Dec. 23, through Wednesday, Jan. 1.

Winter break runs from Monday, March 23 through Friday, March 27.

One change Courneene noted was the parent-teacher conferences. Feedback from all three schools was for one day of conferences per week instead of back-to-back days.

Conferences are scheduled for consecutive Thursdays, Oct. 17 and 24, and Feb. 20 and 27.

Staff inservice days are on Fridays, Oct. 25, Nov. 19, Jan. 24, Feb. 21 and April 24. Teacher workdays are on Fridays, Jan. 17 and March 20.