In the upcoming school years (2018-2019 & 2019-2020) HSE School District students & teachers will be reporting two days earlier to begin the school year in August, and the Thanksgiving Break will be a full week long.  After a long odyssey of votes and confusion over Roberts Rules of Order, the school board voted 4-3 to approve the next two school year calendars.

The evening began with the board voting down the administration proposal that had included input from the Hamilton Southeastern Education Association, that would keep the school calendar close to what it is in the current school year.  Superintendent Allen Bourff’s proposal would have called for teachers to report for school on Monday, August 6th, 2018, with students’ first day of school Wednesday, August 8th.  Thanksgiving break would have been 3 days, Wednesday-Thursday.

The board voted that proposal down 5-2.  That left the school district with no school calendar after the current school year.

Then a motion to reconsider was made later in the meeting, which sparked a long debate about whether the board was following Roberts Rules of Order.  After a lengthy discussion, the board moved toward another vote.

Board members hotly debated the value of data gleaned from an online survey.  Some board members wanted to value the data, while others questioned how accurate the data might be.  Board member Mike Bottorff appeared skeptical that the survey data should be used in making the calendar decision, while Michelle Fullhart argued that the survey results should be a part of the consideration in voting on a new school calendar.

Once all the talking ended, the board voted 4-3 to start the school year 2 days earlier for teachers and students the next two school years.  In the 2018-2019 calendar, teachers report on Thursday, August 2nd, with students starting classes Monday, August 6th.  Thanksgiving break will be November 19th-23rd (Monday-Friday).  Fall Break will be October 15th-19th.  Christmas Break runs Monday, December 24th through Monday, January 7th (teachers report on January 7th, students are off that day).  Spring Break is set for Friday, March 29th through Friday, April 5th, 2019.  The last day of school for students is set for Friday, May 24th, with the final week of May set aside for make-up days, if needed.

In the first vote turning down the administration’s proposal, Matt Burke and Michelle Fullhart were the two votes in favor of Dr. Bourff’s recommendation.  On the 4-3 vote that approved the calendar – Mike Bottorff, John DeLucia, Amanda Shera and Terry Tolle voted yes.  Matt Burke, Michelle Fullhart and Sylvia Shepler cast the no votes