Board reviews proposed 2010-2011 school calendar
Jan. 12, 2010
Springfield Public Schools Board of Education considered the proposed 2010-2011 school calendar at its January study session. The first day of school for students would be Tuesday, Aug. 24, 2010. The last day of school is scheduled for Tuesday, June 7, 2011. That date includes six built-in make-up days, so the last day could be as early as Friday, May 27. The board will approve the 2010-2011 school calendar at its regular meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 19.
The board also listened to recommendations to revise district policies regarding compulsory attendance and student withdrawal to align with new state guidelines. State law now mandates that students must be 17 years old to withdraw from school and any student between the ages of seven and 17 must attend school on a full-time basis. The state law went into effect Aug. 28, 2009, and Springfield Public School is currently in line with the requirements. The board policy revision was a formality to update the written policy.
Recommendations for the selection of architectural firms for the gymnasium addition at Jeffries Elementary, expansion of Westport and improvements at Hillcrest High School, all part of the 2009 bond issue approved by voters in November 2009, were also presented to the board, and will be voted on at the regular session.
Several notable achievements by district teachers and schools were recognized at the meeting, including:
- Kickapoo High School teacher Rick Snyder was named an Outstanding Earth Science Teacher by the National Association of Geoscience Teachers.
- Pipkin Middle School received authorization for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Program. There will be a come-and-go reception to celebrate the event on Thursday, Jan. 14, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Kraft Administrative Center.
- Parkview and Central high schools were each recognized by U.S. News and World Report as two of the top high schools in the nation.
The meeting agenda and all associated documents are available online. Watch the video of the meeting here.