Cliff Buchan
News EditorGet ready for an early start to the school year this fall and a late finish in 2005.
Plans now taking shape for the 2004-2005 school calendar in ISD 831 show a school start before Labor Day this year with the school calendar continuing until June 10, 2005.
The school board completed its first review of the proposed school calendar Monday and will take up the topic for final approval Monday, March 1.
The district has a goal of adopting the new school year calendar by April 1 of each year.
With Labor Day falling on Monday, Sept. 6 this year, the administration has recommended starting school on Wednesday, Sept. 1. The final day for students in 2005 is June 9 with teachers required to be on the job one additional day.
New teachers hired by the district will start work Friday, Aug. 20 while returning teachers will see their first duty day on Thursday, Aug. 26.
Although in most years schools are required to start after Labor Day but this year can move up the start of school by three days because Labor Day is late, Superintendent Lynn Steenblock said Monday.
A two-week student break at Christmas is part of the plan. The Christmas holiday vacation period will start Monday, Dec. 21 and continue through Sunday, Jan. 2, 2005.
A spring break for students is slated March 21-25 and will coincide in 2005 with the Easter observance Sunday, March 27, 2005.
The two-day state teacher convention break is Oct. 21-22 while the Thanksgiving holiday break is Nov. 25-26.
After its first review of the policy Monday, the board will take formal action at its March meeting.
Steenblock said negotiations now proceeding with teachers could have an impact on the final calendar.
Under the current master contract with teachers, new teachers are required to work 192 days while returning teachers must work 188 days. The Forest Lake Education Association is bargaining for a reduction in the number of duty days as allowed by state law, Steenblock said.
Should that take place in the current contract talks, the calendar would have to be adjusted, Steenblock said.
The proposed calendar has a host of work days and conference days where students are not in class.
In August, new teacher in-service will span four days while returning teachers will have four in-service and work days as part of the pre-school workshop schedule.
Beyond August, teachers will have three in-service days and three all-teacher work days. Two days are designated for teacher conference option. Two days are set aside for K-7 parent-teacher conferences while kindergarten parent-teacher conferences will span two additional days.
Meeting dates
The board, at the behest of member Dean Barr, continues to tinker with its meeting schedule for the short-term and long-term and plans a review again at its May meeting.
Because of a personal conflict with new member Keith Dunham, the board has agreed to change its third Monday monthly work session to to the fourth Monday starting in March. Dunham is not available on the third Monday of the month.
Barr at the January meeting requested the board look at a new meeting slate for the regular business session. For more than two decades the board has conducted meetings on the first and third Monday.
Barr said a change would take pressure off the administration and free board members for other school events that take place on Mondays. He is suggesting a plan to utilize Thursday as the meeting night.
The board took no action on the request. Member Joe Grafft has built his work schedule to free up Mondays but has commitments on Thursday nights through May.
With the short-term plan in place, the board agreed to review its meeting schedule again in May.
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