Johnston Residents Question School District Start Date

While no formal recommendations have been made for the start of the 2012-13 Johnston school year, the possibility of another early start date has some district residents riled up.

For the 2011-12 school year, the moved the start of school ahead to Aug. 15. The move was made to create even semesters, with finals before winter break for secondary students.

A 2012-13 school year start date of Aug. 13 has been discussed, but not decided on, said associate superintendent Jim Casey at Monday's board meeting.

Dave Knudsen, father of a kindergartner, asked the board Monday to consider moving the start date back to later in August.

"August 15 seemed too early," he said of his first year in the district. "Not all the education happens during the school year. A lot happens at home. In Iowa, summers already feel too short."

The beginning of the school year for many Iowa school districts has historically been after the end of the Iowa State Fair, usually the end of August. The fair runs Aug. 9-19 in 2012.

Audra Nelson, mother of elementary school and middle school students, provided schedules for Urbandale, Dallas Center-Grimes and Dowling Catholic schools that hold semester finals before winter break, but maintain a late-August start date.

"If the purpose is to have finals before break, if it can be accomplished with a later start date, why not?" she asked.

Casey said the finals at those schools may not be comprehensive, but would be looked at by the calendar committee.

Recommended calendar changes should be based on academics, not personal preference, Casey said.

He suggested before recommendations are made, the district should survey students and teachers in the secondary grades to determine if the early start date and finals schedule was a benefit.

When a recommendation is brought to the board, a public hearing will be set for the community to voice its opinion on the calendar.