Classes to begin Sept. 5 to avoid long weekend pause

Ozaukee Press staff

Students in the Northern Ozaukee School District will begin the next school year on Tuesday, Sept. 5, according to a calendar approved by the School Board Monday.

“It has a couple unique things,” Supt. Dave Karrels said in introducing the calendar to the board.

One of those unique features is the start date, he said, noting the district could begin classes on Friday, Sept. 1. But that would only give students one day of class before they leave for the three-day, Labor Day weekend.

After polling a number of people who concurred that having a long weekend after one day of school did not make sense, the administration recommended the later start date, Karrels said.

That means the annual school picnic will be held on Aug. 29, he said.

“We thought let’s really kick things off at the end of August,” Karrels said.

Likewise, the end of the school year will be different than usual.

Classes will end on May 31, Karrels said, but graduation won’t be until June 2, after students are out of school.

Typically, graduation is held the week before Memorial Day, he said, but “that would be really early this year.”

Christmas break will run from Dec. 25 to Jan. 1, with students returning on Jan. 2, and spring break from March 25 to April 1, with students returning on April 2.

Many families have indicated they want the Monday after Easter off because they are returning from vacations, Karrels said.

The schools in CESA 1 have agreed to try and hold spring break during the last week in March, Karrels added.