The New Hanover County School Board has announced it’s considering a new school year calendar. Starting in fall of 2020, the proposal would move all traditional schools to a modified year-round plan. As WHQR reports, if approved, the school year would start in early August and end before Memorial Day.
If adopted, the plan will shorten summer vacation in 2020 by two weeks, but School Board Chair, Lisa Estep, says the new calendar will provide the flexibility to institute teacher workdays, integrate weather make-up days, and have students finish their semesters before major holiday breaks.
According to Estep, the change will make it easier for high school students taking college classes:
“It’s really hard to try to plan to do CCP classes, those community college classes in the second semester when you’re still taking first semester classes. So, there are so many issues to our calendar the way it is now.”
Current state law gives specific start and end dates for traditional schools, but a ‘modified’ year-round designation would keep the new calendar in compliance.
But there are exceptions. Schools like Eaton and Codington Elementary, and specialty high schools like SEA-Tech and Issac Bear, will have the option to keep their yearly schedules.
The School Board is now conducting a parent phone survey on the calendar, and Estep says the proposals will be on the New Hanover County Schools website for public review.