Perrysburg switches school calendar

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PERRYSBURG – Students will start school earlier next year and shift to a more traditional exam schedule
under a new calendar approved Monday.
The board also voted on an updated contingency plan for making up some of the school days lost this year
to inclement weather.
With the new calendar, students will open the 2014 school year on Aug. 20, while the first day for 2013
was Aug. 26. This year, students returned for a week of first-semester classes after winter break before
taking exams.
Starting earlier will allow students to complete the first semester before leaving for winter break, and
also put more school days in the second semester to prepare for possible cancellations and instruction
days lost to new state assessments, Superintendent Tom Hosler explained Monday. He said starting earlier
will also help to identify and help struggling readers sooner, as they won’t be allowed to move past
third grade before passing new tests under a state mandate.
"We know this can help our students get past this test, and the more students we can get passed
(during) this first testing window, the more they can relax and just get on with learning and not having
this hanging over their head," Hosler said.
The final day of the 2014 school year is scheduled for May 28, 2015.
The calamity day schedule, also approved Monday, will see one day added to the end of the school year, a
work day converted to an instructional day, and several days made up with "blizzard bags" of
take-home work.
The district has canceled 13 days of school this year and is allowed to waive five of those calamity
days. A bill approved by the state Legislature will allow another four days to be waived, provided
school districts make up four days as well.
Perrysburg will require students report May 23, which was originally a teacher work day, as well as June
6, one day after the school year was scheduled to end.
Hosler said the solution likely won’t be popular with everyone, and plans could change if additional
school days are lost.
"We’re not out of the woods yet," he said, noting that fog and ice could be a factor going into
April. "We’re not resting easy."
If a 14th day is canceled, grades 6 through 12 would be given another blizzard bag, while those in
kindergarten through fifth grade would be asked to report June 9.
Board members were told they could consider the plan next month, but the group was supportive of the plan
and opted to approve it Monday.
Sue Larimer said she liked the plan and suggested it be approved so parents can begin planning around it.

Walt Edinger pointed out that adding days to the end of the school year isn’t always effective, as the
school environment in January is more conducive to learning than in June, when students are focused on
vacation.

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