The Walpole School Committee met on Thursday, March 12 to discuss possible changes to the calendar for both the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 school years. This year, the late start combined with the six snow days pushed the end of the school year back to June 26. To avoid this late release next year, the School Committee sent out a survey on Friday, February 27 to parents and employees regarding the calendar and used these results to propose an amended calendar for next year as well as the end of this school year.
There were a total of 1,104 survey responses and 289 comments. Eighty-four percent of respondents wanted to reduce number of religious holidays— allowing excused absences for religious reasons for students and employees— and avoid conducting test or exams on those days, reduce the number of early release days, and combine February vacation and April vacation into one vacation in March.
The modifications made to the school calendar are meant to account for snow days and avoid the extension of the school year into late June.
“Schools are very hot and not air-conditioned,” said Superintendent Lincoln Lynch, “and people basically feel that effective learning doesn’t take place during the last few days of June.”
A major potential change to the calendar is one unified March vacation, which replaces both February and April vacation. This change in particular has sparked controversy among parents, students, and faculty. Many students are in favor of the March vacation because they want to end the school year as early as possible.
Freshman Danny O’Leary said, “I’d like [a March vacation.] I think that it would make [the school year] a lot easier, and February is a waste of a vacation since Christmas vacation is right before it.”
However, some people do not think that making such a major change to the school calendar is necessary.
History teacher Christopher Jean said, “There is no need to overreact to one particularly brutal winter and jump to a conclusion.”
Administration used feedback from the survey to construct a potential calendar for next year. They propose students start school on Wednesday September 2, and the school year ends on May 24 for seniors, June 10 for everyone else. With this proposed schedule, students have a full day of school on Yom Kippur and Election day, but not Good Friday. The potential calendar also shortens February vacation by having an early release on Friday and no school Monday or Tuesday. However, students return to school on Wednesday.
“What we’re gaining in summation is we’re gaining 5 school days during the year,” said Superintendent Lynch, “and we’re moving the end of school up a week in June and allowing for 5 plus days from June 10th on.”
The proposed calendar is not final and there is a commission of administrations, staff, parents, school committee members to decide on the calendar. The School Year Calendar Committee will meet to discuss the calendar and make possible changes, but administration feel that the current proposed calendar will work academically.
Superintendent Lynch said, ¨We’ve been guided by the survey and the majority of comments for what is in the general good for the majority of all students.”
