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BoE sets school dates
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Unless the state says otherwise, schools in Bryan County will start Aug. 4 this fall.

The Bryan County Board of Education approved the 2010-2011 school calendar at its meeting Thursday night, with a caveat.

"This is what we consider to be a good instructional calendar," said John Oliver, superintendent of Bryan County Schools. "But there is legislation that could affect this calendar. If that legislation passes, then the calendar will be revised."

The legislation Oliver is referring to is House Bill 995, which is currently before the state legislature. It would prevent school districts from starting school before Labor Day or Sept. 1, whichever comes earlier.

"This comes up every year," Oliver said. "We just don’t know how serious it is this year."

That’s because schools, like other government agencies, could lose millions more in state money. Gov. Sonny Perdue’s proposed budget reportedly will cut another $800 million from school funding over the remainder of this year and in Fiscal Year 2011, which begins July 1.

Some school systems have responded by cutting days from the calendar, but that’s not the plan in Bryan County.

"If you cut back days, there’s still a minimal amount of curriculum time that has to take place," said Eddie Warren, chairman of the Bryan County Board of Education. "You still have to be within guidelines."

Under state law, Georgia requires schools provide 180 days of instruction or an equal number of hours, which would make for longer school days.

In Bryan County, students will start Aug. 4 and finish May 20. High school graduation is scheduled for May 21. Student get days off for Labor Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years, Martin Luther King Day, President’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day.

"This calendar worked out real well for our system," Warren said. "But it may be modified."

With the 2009-2010 school year still months away from completion, some might ask why the rush in getting a calendar for the next school year finished.

School officials say it's in part to make sure parents with kids in school can plan things such as vacation time.

"The attempt here is to go ahead and give parents and the public the parameters of next year’s calendar," Oliver said, "with the understanding that if a law is passed that says you can’t begin school until after Sept. 1 or Labor Day, which ever is earlier, the calendar will be revised."

BRYAN COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM CALENDAR 2010 - 2011 SCHOOL YEAR July 29, 30, August 2, 3, 2010 Pre-planning for Staff August 4, 2010 First Day of School September 6, 2010 Labor Day Holiday October 6, 2010 End First Nine Weeks November 11, 12, 2010 Veterans’ Day Holidays November 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 2010 Thanksgiving Holidays (Return November 29, 2010) December 17, 2010 End Second Nine Weeks End First Semester (90 Days) December 20, 2010-January 2, 2011 Winter Holidays (Staff Returns January 3, 2011; Students Return January 4, 2011) January 3, 2011 Staff Planning (Holiday for Students) January 4, 2011 Begin Second Semester January 17, 2011 Martin Luther King Holiday February 21, 2011 Presidents’ Day Holiday March 9, 2011 End Third Nine Weeks March 17, 2011 Holiday March 18, 2011 Staff Planning (Holiday for Students) April 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 2011 Spring Holidays (Return April 25, 2011) May 20, 2011 End Fourth Nine Weeks –End Second Semester May 23, 24, 25, 26, 2011 Post-planning for Staff GRADUATIONS Bryan County High School May 21, 2011 Richmond Hill High School May 21, 2011 PROGRESS REPORTS REPORT CARDS Thursday, September 9, 2010 Tuesday, October 19, 2010 Tuesday, November 10, 2010 Tuesday, January 11, 2011 Tuesday, February 8, 2011 Tuesday, March 15, 2011 Thursday, April 14, 2011 Tuesday, May 24, 2011 Approved January 28, 2010

Bryan County Board of Education

 

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