'The Best Calendar for Our Kids'—Board OKs '13-14 KLSD Schedule

In a 4-2 vote Thursday night, the Katonah-Lewisboro school board accepted the 2013-2014 calendar, which several folks acknowledged as unpopular.

Board of education trustees and school officials said the district's three collective-bargaining units came together for the schedule.

They weighed potential solutions for issues expressed by community members following the removal of a calendar discussion from an earlier BOE meeting, but ultimately, a week-long break in February wasn't in the cards.

"You know, vacations are important. I don't think anyone looks back in 20 years and says, 'Ah, I'm so glad I got up at 6 o'clock that morning, and sent my kids to school,' but you do say, 'Wow, remember that day we went into the city, we went to Central Park, we went to the zoo? We went on vacation, we went skiing, if we had the money," parent Amy Heath said after she ran through a slew of dates she felt should have been rearranged. "That's what you're going to remember. That's what I'm going to remember. I just think those days are important."

180 days of instruction—mandated by New York State—plus five days of professional development and four weather reserve days, were priorities, officials said.

Mark Lipton, president of the board, was not in attendance. Trustee Charles Day voted against the calendar, and said that every other district in Westchester County was able to deliver a full week break. Another trustee, Janet Harckham, said this calendar should not be compared to those in other school systems, because it's not "apples to apples."

"We have things in our calendar that are beneficial to families—like a secure spring break," she said, citing the neighboring Somers' district which just lost three days of its spring break for this year. 

"It's painful to deliver an unpopular calendar," trustee Marjorie Schiff said, but added that the effort was a "model of collaboration." She's hopeful that next time around, there could be a longer February break.