Canfield school board changes 2011 calendar

By Elise Franco

Early spring break in 2011 will give Canfield students enough time to make up missed Ohio Achievement Tests.

CANFIELD — Parents and students will see a temporary change in the school district calendar for the next school year.

The board of education has voted to move spring break for the 2010-11 school year to the week before Easter, April 18 through 25, instead of the week after the holiday.

Board President Anthony Peluso said the board made the change because Easter, on April 24 next year, falls later in the month than usual and interferes with the state testing schedule for Ohio Achievement Tests.

“Because Easter is so late in the year that year, it wouldn’t give the students enough time to get back and finish up testing,” he said.

Superintendent Dante Zambrini said testing begins statewide April 25 in 2011 and runs until May 13. He said taking spring break a week earlier than usual will give students who need to take make-up tests the time to do so.

“The decision was made because if we didn’t come back from break until May, we lost one week of testing,” he said. “We want the window of make-ups to be there for our students.”

Canfield students will begin their testing April 27, 2011, Zambrini said.

Before taking the matter to the board, Zambrini said he contacted the Ohio Department of Education several times to find out if the testing start dates could be moved.

“I was told absolutely no changes would be made,” the superintendent told the board members.

Peluso said the board passed the resolution more than a year in advance to ensure parents are aware of the change.

“We wanted to give the parents enough notice so they had enough time to make their plans for spring vacation,” he said.

But Zambrini said he wants to assure parents the change is for only one year.

“It’s usual and customary we take Good Friday off and the week following,” he said.

efranco@vindy.com