With more than 400 votes in favor, members of the Limestone County Board of Education approved the official 2020-2021 school year calendar.

Two versions of the calendar were presented to all Limestone County Schools faculty and staff for a vote. The second option, which featured an earlier start date but longer fall break, won 446-112.

Board member Earl Glaze and chairman Bret McGill noted that even though only about half of employees chose to vote, the board was supporting the option chosen by those employees.

“This board has nothing to do with when you people go to work or not, other than approve the calendar you voted on,” McGill said.

The 2020-2021 academic year will begin with a teacher workday Tuesday, Aug. 4 and students starting school Friday, Aug. 7. The first nine-week period will end Oct. 9, with students having the following week, Oct. 12–16, out for fall break.

The other option started school on Tuesday, Aug. 11, and only allowed Oct. 12–14 for fall break.

Christmas break is scheduled for Dec. 21–Jan. 1, with a half-day for students Dec. 18 and students returning to school Jan. 6, 2021. Spring break takes place March 29–April 2, 2021, and the school year ends with a half-day for students May 27, 2021, and a teacher workday May 28, 2021.

Total, there will be 178 days on which students attend school and 187 days in which teachers attend.

Future calendars

Board members also unanimously approved a resolution against state-mandated calendar start and end dates. The resolution served as a way for the board to let Gov. Kay Ivey, the Alabama State Department of Education and Alabama legislators know members believe they should be the ones who decide when Limestone County’s students should attend class.

The resolution was discussed in a work session Jan. 7, then approved at the Jan. 14 meeting.

“As much control as we can keep, I’m for it,” Glaze said.

Board member Ronald Christ agreed, saying, “I’m with Earl.”

During the meeting, McGill explained the resolution was a response to a bill being presented that would determine the start and end date for all schools across Alabama. He said some believed this would lead to families spending more on tourism, despite a previous attempt failing to yield such results.

“They tried it before and didn’t necessarily reap the benefits they thought,” he said.

The resolution says “unique decisions take place in 137 Alabama school systems” and for Limestone County, a statewide start date would mean students lose instructional time prior to standardized testing. Furthermore, the calendar “is an education priority and not a business or tourism decision.”

As such, the resolution says, “the education community urges policymakers to Leave Our Calendar Authority Local.” The full resolution can be viewed at bit.ly/LCBOEagenda on Item 15 of the Jan. 14 agenda.

Other business

In other business, board members approved the following:

• Blue Springs Elementary fifth-graders traveling to Dauphin Island, March 23–25;

• Tech center culinary arts students traveling to the State Restaurant Association Competition in Orange Beach, March 7–11, and to the State Cattleman’s Association Beef Cookoff in Montgomery, April 3–4;

• East Limestone High’s bowling team traveling to Birmingham for regional and possibly state competitions;

• Elkmont High’s livestock evaluation team traveling to Montgomery for the SLE Livestock Judging Contest, March 10–13;

• Elkmont High Sr. Beta traveling to Birmingham for the State Beta Club Convention, March 25–27;

• Renewal of joint maintenance agreement with Giles County (Tennessee) Board of Education for bordering school students for the 2019-2020 school year;

• Ardmore High lease with Pitney Bowes for postage metering and postage, to be paid using local school funds;

• Career tech center’s use of Perkins Funds for six electrical trainers for HVAC;

• Bank reconciliation and financials for September and October 2019;

• Purchase/lease of uniforms for mechanics, maintenance, textbook warehouse and custodians at a cost of $231.10 per week, to be paid from the general fund (annual budgeted item); and

• Amendment to 2019-2020 salary schedule (supplements page only).