Region 15 Officials Approve Academic Calender Through 2017

If you like to plan ahead, school officials have you covered. The Region 15 Board of Education approved the new academic calendar through 2016.

The board unanimously approved the three-year calendar for 2013-14, 2014-15, and 2016-17 at their meeting last week. This year, students will return to school on Aug. 27 but, weather or emergency cancellations aside, will get out earlier in June than in recent years.

Region 15 Superintendent of Schools Dr. Frank Sippy brought the proposed three-year calendar to the board, and asked the Calendar Committee co-chairpersons, Rochambeau Middle School assistant principal Deborah Schultz and Memorial Middle School assistant principal Jennifer Bourque, to give the presentation.

“Our goal was to design a calendar that provides consistent and fluid instruction for the students while taking into account holidays and the professional development needs for teachers to meet the various state mandates,” said Schultz.

The newly approved three-year calendar will include one additional professional development half-day and one additional teacher work day, starting in 2014-15, which will extend staff days by one to 187, and one additional in-service full-day.

Also, weather or emergency-related school closings in excess of 10 days will now be made up during the spring recess. In past years, the days numbered seven.

“We strove to have the least number of interrupted weeks for students in order to keep continuity of instruction for the students,” said Bourque.

The calendars were developed by a 21-person committee made up of teachers, parents, and administrators, according to the board. The single sheet calendar as well as the three-year calendar can be accessed by clicking the photo box above.