Board accepts calendar changes
By Bobbi Mlynar
Originally published 09:53 p.m., October 11, 2006
Updated 09:53 p.m., October 11, 2006
Members of the Emporia School District board of education voted unanimously to move forward with a major construction project and to accept an amended version of the 2007-2008 school calendar during their meeting Wednesday evening at the Mary Herbert Education Center.
After hearing the calendar committee’s report from Teresa Davidson, Assistant Superintendent of Personnel, the board voted 6-0 to accept the changes recommended and remove a Jump Start Week from the regular calendar. The new calendar also would reduce parent-teacher conference time by one-half day each semester. The saved time would enable the teachers to have one extra day of student contact time within the school year.
The committee recommended that the board consider the Jump Start Week in the future, perhaps as a summer school option for youngsters who need time to refresh their skills from the previous school year.
“It would be done like a summer school contract, not extra teaching days,” Davidson said.
She said that as committee members talked with teachers, parents, and others in the district, they heard a common theme to eliminate early release days and to move parent-teacher conferences closer to the middle of each quarter instead of hold them at the end.
“”But it’s all over. At that point they already have the grades,” Davidson said. Moving the conferences forward would allow teachers and parents to work together to identify problems and improve students’ performance before quarterly grades are given.
Board members agreed to the modified calendar; however, they voted to approve only one year instead of two to allow them to assess the results of the changes.
The board approved the construction of new weight and fitness rooms, with the stipulation that they would be able to study possible changes in the original plans and decide whether they wanted to change some of the specifications to reduce costs.
Architect Dave Emig will notify the construction company that the district intends to proceed with the project and will retain the right to make the changes within the next two weeks. The board also has the option of accepting the bid and specifications as they stand.