Paulding Approves Calendars For 2019-2020, 2020-2021 School Years

PAULDING COUNTY, GA – At its July 24, 2018 regular meeting, the Paulding County Board of Education approved calendars for the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years. The approved calendars incorporate feedback from a community survey that showed support for maintaining a start date for the school year no earlier than August 1st, and keeping the current fall, winter and spring break schedules. As a result, the approved calendars for the 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school years are very similar to the current school year calendar.

The survey generated 5,951 responses, with 3,988 of those responses from parents. The remaining responses were received from teachers, school district staff, students, and community members.

Parents indicated that most take advantage of the fall and spring breaks, and are most likely to use those times for family vacations:

School calendars are developed around several key assumptions. Those assumptions are:

• Staff, parent, student, and community feedback is required by school board Policy AEA.
• Students attend school 180 days.
• Teachers work 190 days.
• The number of days in the fall and spring semesters should be balanced to the greatest extent possible.
• Fall Semester should end prior to the Winter Holiday break.
• The school year should start August 1st or after, and end prior to the Memorial Day holiday.
• Families take advantage of the Fall and Spring breaks.
• Parent/Teacher communication is facilitated via early dismissal of students for conferences.

Ending the first semester prior to the winter holidays means students complete courses and exams before going on a two-week break, which is preferable to the catch-up time that would be needed if students were to take exams following the holidays. But it also means that in order to ensure a 90-day first semester that includes a one-week fall break and one week off for Thanksgiving, the school year must begin very early in August. When provided potential options for starting the school year later, no single solution stood out for parents:

In order to start the school year on August 1 or later, and end the school year before Memorial Day, both calendars were adjusted by removing teacher workdays prior to conference weeks, and having district staff return earlier from the winter holidays. For parents and students, the recently approved calendars for the next two school years should seem very similar to the current school year calendar, with similar start dates as well as similar fall, winter and spring break schedules.

The approved 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 school year calendars are attached to this release. For more information about the calendars, including complete survey results, visit:
https://www.paulding.k12.ga.us...

Graphics courtesy Paulding County School System
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