BENTONVILLE — The most recent draft of the Bentonville School District’s 2011-2012 calendar has 20 snow days built in.
District officials have scrambled this year to make up 10 days used because of inclement weather.
The School Board voted Monday to make up two snow days during spring break. Teachers and staff previously voted to make up a snow day earlier this month. Saturdays may also be considered as an option by teachers, staff and the board.
“A parent said to me, ‘If we can’t count on the calendar, what can we count on?’,” Beth Haney, a school board member, said during a curriculum meeting Thursday. “Certainly this one can withstand the weather.”
At A Glance
Non-Traditional Calendar
The Bentonville School District’s non-traditional calendar is still in early draft stages but has a start date of Aug. 1. It also has a longer spring break and a shortened Thanksgiving and winter break along with nine snow days built into a May break — May 1-4 and May 7-11.
Source: Bentonville School District
The district plans to take advantage of a bill passed by the Arkansas Legislature, which will allow the district to start four days earlier next year. The bill states a school can start on or after the Monday of the week of Aug. 19. Districts were previously not allowed to start before Aug. 19.
The draft calendar also states two days will be taken away from next year’s Thanksgiving break and another two from the winter break but two staff development days were added to spring break.
The changes in the calendar moves the summer release up five days to May 21. The last day, without snow days, this year was May 27. With the use of the three makeup days students will be now be released June 8.
If the draft is approved by all district committees and the board, a snow day will be built in for Feb. 20. The rest of the 19 days will be added to the end of the calendar, starting May 22 and ending June 18. The last day would be June 4, if 10 snow days were used.
“My understanding is we are putting the snow days in now so everyone will be aware,” said Scott Packnett, a board member. “I really like staff development at the front of spring break,” he added.
Parent Shelly Short said she really just wants the district to go to year-round schools.
“If you have snow days you just build it in,” Short said. She said students need the longer Thanksgiving and holiday breaks. They also need the time off during spring break.
Short said the time off allows students to have a rest and gives families time to travel to see extended family.
A group of ninth graders at Bentonville High School said they would rather have longer breaks and get out of school later.
“My Christmas is my time to have a break,” Mikaela McGarrah said. McGarrah’s friend Garret Nickel agreed.
“We have a long summer,” Nickel said. “I want a break in-between.”
Junior Aine McMahon was not positive about her feelings on the draft. McMahon moved to the region two years ago.
“Apparently, it is not supposed to snow like this every year,” McMahon said. She said she would appreciate the draft if the region gets heavy snowfall next year. However, if it doesn’t, she wouldn’t like the shorter breaks.
Tommy Runnels, assistant principal at Bentonville High School, said he didn’t have strong feelings either way. However, he didn’t see shortening Thanksgiving break as a problem because that’s how it’s been traditionally done. He said he feels parents would have an issue with the shortened winter break.
The shorter breaks also are a way for the district to even out the days students go to school during the two semesters. The most recent draft shows 87 student days in the first semester with 91 in the second. This year’s calendar has 80 days in the first and 98 in the second.