The school district has put out next year’s proposed calendar for public comment.
Superintendent Jeremy Morrow provided the board of education with the draft of the calendar for the 2019/2020 school year at the Feb. 5 meeting.
“This is a calendar that has a one-week spring break, with Pro-D dates scattered throughout the calendar,” he said.
After Morrow spoke, the board passed a motion to send out the calendar for feedback.
“It will be brought back to the board for consideration,” Morrow added.
READ MORE: Campbell River School District hires new superintendent
The calendar proposes schools open the first Tuesday following Labour Day as well as the one-week spring break. The district has received feedback concerning a desire for a two-week spring break because of Easter’s late date next year, but it says the only way to accommodate two weeks for a break would be to add additional time to the school day, adding this would require extensive consultation and consideration.
The consultation process for the school calendar includes representatives from the board, the Campbell River Principals’ and Vice-Principals’ Association, Campbell River District Teachers’ Association, CUPE Local 723, the District Parent Advisory Council, senior management, the Core Pro-D coordinator, Indigenous Education Advisory Council, as well as secondary school students from Carihi and Timberline.
Morrow said the committee for the calendar met a couple of weeks earlier and recommended a similar calendar to this year’s. He told the board the school calendar should reflect the goals and vision of the district’s strategic plan, which on which it is now working. In light of the strategic plan, the calendar committee has decided to approach the calendar next year differently.
For the next Strategic Plan, based on discussion with the calendar committee, Morrow made minor adjustments to a previously proposed calendar. According to School District 72, this concludes a two-year calendar development cycle started by previous superintendent Tom Longridge. Beginning in the fall of 2020, the district will start a calendar consultation process to develop calendars for several years at a time to help family, staff and the community plan over the long term.
“We are looking for a longer, extended period of time, perhaps up to three years,” trustee Daryl Hagen said, “so people can plan their lives, they can move on.”
The proposed calendar for next year is available on the district website at www.sd72.bc.ca/calendar. Any feedback should be sent by email to school.calendar@sd72.bc.ca no later than March 15. The school district has to submit its final school calendar to the Ministry of Education by the end of March.