Pupils in district might start year a day earlier than usual

NEW MIDDLETOWN -- Pupils in the Springfield School District could start their next school year a day earlier than expected.
The board of education discussed moving the first day of school to the first Tuesday after Labor Day, instead of Wednesday.
Board members said they're concerned because Labor Day, which will be observed Sept. 6, falls late this year and could cause the school calendar to be pushed back if the school district continues its tradition of starting the school year Wednesday.
Typically school starts Wednesday because of the Canfield Fair, which runs the week before Labor Day, opening Thursday. Board members said the fair is not expected to close as late as it has in the past. The district has always scheduled school to start the Wednesday after Labor Day because of the large number of pupils who participate in the annual fair.
The school board plans to finalize the district's 2004-05 calendar and vote on whether to make the change at its regular voting meeting in March.
In other business, the school board hired math teacher Anna Manning and science instructor Francine Krupa to provide after-school proficiency tutoring at an hourly rate of $20.10 each.
Linda Campbell, Mary Metzka and Pamela Williams were named tutors for the fourth-grade after-school math proficiency program. They are to be paid $20.10 an hour each.
Kim Johnson is to be paid $12 an hour to work as a tutor for the fourth-grade program.