Traditional calendar OKd

Just a month after approving the calendar for 2022-23, School Board members approved a new calendar with the first day of school slated for Monday, Aug. 15.

School superintendent Keith Martin told board members that the state legislature recently approved Senate Bill 64, Act 217, allowing school districts to “go back to traditional date setting.”

“It’s just for next year,” Martin said. “We do not have to start the Monday two weeks prior to Labor Day so we’ll start Aug. 15 instead of Aug. 22. It allows us to have the semester end before Christmas and allows us to have a similar calendar to previous years. It was overwhelmingly popular (with school staff ).”

“I know it’s frustrating when rules are changed mid-stream, but it’s one we’re glad to have,” Martin said.

The new calendar shows the first quarter from Aug. 15 to Oct. 11, the second quarter from Oct. 12 to Dec. 18, third quarter from Jan. 4 to March 14, and fourth quarter from March 15 to May 31. Thanksgiving break will be Nov. 21-25 and winter break will be Dec. 19 to Jan. 2. Spring Break is scheduled for March 20-24. Graduation for 2023 will be May 13.

At the regular monthly School Board meeting Monday, March 14, board president Jeff Neil announced that the school district received $15,000 from the United Way for the Blackhawk Pantry.

“That’s phenominal! It’s the first one in years,” Neil said.

The board heard the first reading of school policies and scheduled the second reading for the April board meeting. The board approved out-of-state trips by students to Atlanta, Ga., for DECA.

In other business, the board approved the resignation of Shay Fisher, Intermediate School SPED teacher, Cheryl Tillman, principal secretary at the high school, and Zach Parish, SPED instructional aide at Intermediate School; approved the transfer of Charley Clark from principal to activities/athletic director; and approved Stelli Litchfield as director of nursing.