The Daily Courier

School calendar set for next year

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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.

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