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February 8, 2010

Goshen school board has two calendar options

By John Kline

Two Goshen school calendar proposals are ready.

At Monday’s school board meeting Executive Director Barry Younghans provided board members with two new balanced calendar examples recently chosen by the corporation’s balanced calendar research committee. The calendars were selected due to having a potential fit for the corporation.

Once the calendars are submitted in detail to the school board, board members will have to decide if they are willing to change the traditional school calendar that provides for a long summer break.

Examples of both calendars will be made available today on the corporation Web site, www.goshenschools.org.

According to Younghans, the first calendar, coined Calendar 11, is defined by a significantly higher number of mini-breaks, or intercessions, than the second calendar, though such breaks will be shorter in length.

According to Younghans, potential positives of a Calendar 11 adoption include:

• Spring break would not impact the start of spring sports;

• Most breaks would not interfere with varsity football or boys basketball;

• Middle school trimesters are not affected by the calendar; and

• Parent teacher conferences would occur after the first break.

Younghans then ran through some of the potential negatives of Calendar 11.

• Possible disjointedness of weeks due to nearly 30 break days;

• Indiana State School Music Association competitions may run into conflicts with school days during the month of March; and

• The start of school could negatively affect athletic practice schedules.

After his breakdown of Calendar 11, Younghans then gave a brief breakdown of the second calendar, or Calendar 12.

His positives associated with Calendar 12 included:

• Less frequent breaks, which equates to less interrupted weeks;

• No conflicts with assessment windows;

• The addition of a three-day Thanksgiving break;

• Start of school and fall athletics are better suited; and

• No conflicts with testing windows.

Younghans then listed several of the potential negatives of Calendar 12.

They are:

• Possible conflicts with ISSMA contests during March;

• Fall break could conflict with the state marching band contest;

• Requires last teacher day to be a Monday, which would require a memorandum of understanding; and

• Parent-teacher conferences would be held before the first break.

At the conclusion of his presentation, Younghans reminded the board that these examples are still just that — examples — adding that there is still plenty of room for revision.

“Both these calendars have pros and cons,” Younghans said.

That said, Stahly indicated that it is the corporation’s intent to endorse one of the two calendas at the board’s Feb. 22 meeting.

“Administratively we will be recommending one of these calenders for adoption,” Stahly said. “That doesn’t mean we’ll have to choose one, but we will administratively recommend one.”

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