Board Opts to Cancel School on Election Day 2012

After continued discussions, the board of education altered the upcoming calendars one more time, cancelling school on Election Day 2012 and opting to make up for it during an inservice day in October.

Now, Nov. 6, 2012 will serve as the inservice day for teachers for the 2012-2013 school year.

Superintendent of Schools Michael Schilder said at the Sept. 27 board of education meeting that this change was discussed to eliminate some parking issues at the school on Election Day, as well as to account for a “messed up” week with Nov. 8 and Nov. 9 off for the teacher’s convention. In 2008, the district also opted to have off on Election Day, but it was not originally considered in the creation of the 2012-2013 calendar.

“Taking Tuesday off fractures it even more,” he said. “But we did this for the last presidential election.”

The second consideration, Schilder said, would be to make up for the November day off on April 1, referred to as Easter Monday. But that day has currently been reserved as a make-up day in the case of too many snow days used.

“We would have to reassign the first make-up snow day,” board of education vice president Patrick Breslin said.

Board of education member Jeffrey Brookner asked if it would be possible to move the scheduled inservice day in October 2012 to Election Day. Although it would still be a fractured week for the students, he said, at least the district would not have to worry about reassigning snow days.

“I do not think it would be bad to postpone the October inservice day,” said assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction Cheryl Dyer. “The day the students have off for it currently is Columbus Day, so we would be going to school on Columbus Day, which many school districts do.”

Breslin said he is more concerned with finding another snow make-up day than switching the inservice day.

“That causes more problems than making the swap in inservice days every four years,” he said.

A motion was made to make the swap, and the board of education approved it.