Proposed School Calendar Shortens Summer Vacation

Courtney Hyatt, Reporter

    Hillsborough County’s School Board has been hard at work coming up with a completely new calendar for the 2016-2017 school year. The proposed schedule has school starting on August 10th, 2016.

Lawmakers recently passed a rule allowing schools to open more than the previously mandatory two weeks before Labor Day. The Hillsborough County School Board is taking advantage of this opportunity.

This past school year granted students 78 days of summer. The proposed schedule would cut students short 17 days of summer, having school end on June 10th, 2016, and begin on August 10th, 2016.

While this calendar will cut summer short 17 days, it also ends the school year May 25th, 2017, about 15-20 days earlier than the typical last day of school.

Another attribute of this calendar is that it allows students to take their mid-term exams before Winter Break.

“If this schedule is real, I’m so happy that I won’t have to spend my Winter Break worrying about seven 100 question review packets!” says Sophomore Michaela Walton.

Although there is much support for the calendar among teachers and students, some parents aren’t too thrilled about losing some summer time with their children.

“Summer is the only time I really get to spend a lot of time with my kids,” says Carolyn Burgess, mother of two Newsome students, “and to have it cut short like that is a little upsetting.”

Students will additionally have the normal week long break for Spring Break and Thanksgiving Break, the two week long Winter Break and either Friday, February 10th or Monday, March 16th off for Florida State Fair Day/Strawberry festival.

The calendar was recently approved at the September 9th Hillsborough County School Board meeting.