School board sets calendar – but don’t blot out too much of August

The Beaufort County school board moved swiftly to set the district’s 2017-18 calendar, approving a parent- and employee-endorsed plan late Tuesday that restores a full two-week Christmas break and wraps up just past Memorial Day.

Be careful with those August plans, though – there’s still a possibility the start date will move up four days to account for a once-in-a-lifetime phenomena set to pass directly over South Carolina.

As it stands, the first day for students is set for Aug. 21 – the first allowable day under current law and the same day a major solar eclipse is scheduled to pass over the United States, with its first onshore sighting expected to take place near Charleston and a path largely following Interstate 26.

A bill now making its way through the legislature proposes a one-year exemption that would allow schools to start Aug. 17, allowing teachers to include the eclipse as part of their curriculum and for safety precautions.

A motion to approve a conditional Aug. 17 start was defeated, leaving no provision to shift dates if the legislation passes. Several members, though, expressed support for revisiting the issue if lawmakers allow.

“I hope they approve the 17th,” board member Joseph Dunkle said. “But I can’t support a motion asking (us to act) if someone does something.”

An earlier start would take those days from the end of the school year, currently set for final classes on May 31.

The rest of the calendar would remain as approved, with a three-day break around Thanksgiving and the fall semester concluding Dec. 21. A 17-day holiday break follows, with students returning to school Jan. 8 to begin spring classes.

Those dates were the preferred choice among two options presented to both parents and district employees in online surveys last week. The second option would have shortened the holiday break to 12 days, resuming classes Jan. 3, but finished the year before Memorial Day.

The longer break and later finish was favored by just under 58 percent of parents, with even greater approval numbers from district employees – 72 percent.

The calendar also sets four makeup days in each semester for days lost to bad weather – a direct byproduct of Hurricane Matthew’s impact in October. The hurricane kept schools closed for two weeks, creating disarray when the board met to consider additional makeup days.

The board twice overrode its own vote before settling on a final version.

For 2017-18, all eight makeup options are set for Saturdays – Nov. 11 and 18, Dec. 9 and 16, March 3 and 10, and April 21 and 28.

Flashbacks to makeup-day uncertainty may have played a role in the board opting not to attach an eclipse clause to Tuesday’s calendar approval.

“It’s too confusing to the public,” said board member Christina Gwozdz. “Let’s go with the calendar and if they approve (the exemption), we can change it then.”

This story was originally published February 8, 2017 at 12:51 AM with the headline "School board sets calendar – but don’t blot out too much of August."