Early school start being considered

By Elise Franco

AUSTINTOWN — For the first time, teachers and pupils in the school district may start class before Labor Day.

Vince Colaluca, director of instruction, said the administrative office is looking at amending the 2009-10 calendar year.

He said the change has been proposed in order to fit in as many academic days as possible before high school sophomores have to take the Ohio Graduation Test in March.

“The goal is to educate our children to the best of our ability before their ‘Super Bowl,’” Colaluca said. “That’s basically what the OGT is for them. And we want to get in as much practice as possible before the big game.”

Colaluca said by state law, students are required to be in school 180 days per school year, with two of those days reserved for conferences.

But Colaluca said the new calendar, if passed by the school board, will add seven academic days.

The board is meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday for a special work session to look over the calendar proposal and make any changes. The proposal is expected to be voted on at the next regular meeting March 11.

“The year is the exact same length; we’re just moving the calendar around,” he said.

The seven academic days would come from four extra days before Labor Day and three days being trimmed from spring break.

Previously the district allowed six academic days for spring break. Colaluca said pupils would have three school days off for spring break and return to class on the Wednesday after Easter.

“This shortened break will be an added benefit for pupils who take the OGT as a junior or senior,” he said.

The last day of school will also be moved up one week, to June 3, Colaluca said. Classes end on June 10 for the 2008-09 school year.

Colaluca said one widely expressed concern has been that many children in the district participate in 4-H or work at the Canfield Fair the weekend before Labor Day.

“The problem is that Labor Day is later than usual,” on Sept. 7, he said. ‘So we have a situation where we have students and families who work in the fair. ... The majority of Austintown’s 5,000 students do not work at the fair, and their calendars are not driven by the fair.”

Colaluca said in order to accommodate those pupils who do depend on the fair, the district has applied for a waived academic day Sept. 3, the first day of the fair.

“We can hold a professional day for teachers that day,” he said. “So if the state approves it, the kids would be able to attend [the fair.]”

Colaluca said the only reason for the calendar change for next school year is that Labor Day is falling later in the month. He said if the holiday is early in September for the 2010-11 school year, as it normally is, the calendar could be changed back.

efranco@vindy.com