School calendar set for next year
Students with the Central Okanagan School District will be heading back to school on Tuesday, Sept. 4.
Trustees on Wednesday unanimously approved the 2018-19 school calendar, which will have 183 instructional days.
In addition to all statutory holidays (which also include Easter Monday and Remembrance Day), the winter vacation period will be Dec. 24 through Jan. 4, and the spring vacation period will be March 18-29.
Other days off school for students due to administrative implementation and professional development are: Aug. 28-30, Oct. 5, Oct. 19, Nov. 13, Feb. 22 and June 28.
CUPE Local 3523 president David Tether, in correspondence to the board, opposes the two-week spring break.
“Losing pay for the extra week of spring break is a serious hardship for our 10-month members and, thus, we cannot support the extra week of spring break unless School District 23 is willing to support extra minutes per working day to 10-month employees,” he wrote.
Superintendent Kevin Kaardal said the board’s decision against a one-week spring break will save $566,000.
Trustee Julia Fraser asked if the board would ever consider year-round schooling similar to what’s done in two districts in B.C.
Kaardal said a move to year-round schooling would be drastic and require significant public consultation.
Kaardal said consideration is not given to neighbouring districts but that most of the school calendars across B.C. are “similar, but not identical.”
The calendar is posted online at www.sd23.bc.ca.