School to Start After Labor Day

The Arlington School Committee recently decided to go with the town’s traditional method to determine the first day of school.

On Tuesday, the committee approved Sept. 8 as the start of the 2011-12 academic year, or the first Thursday after the Labor Day holiday.

Last month, some committee members . At the time, the committee chose to wait to make a decision.

With the Sept. 8 start, the 2011-12 academic year will end on Wednesday, June 20, assuming there are no snow days. If all five of the district’s built-in snow days are needed, the school year would go until Wednesday, June 27.

Last month, some committee members mentioned the idea of copying nearby districts, such as Lexington, that start the school year before Labor Day but then give students and teachers the Friday before the holiday off. However, if a change would’ve been made, the district’s teachers’ union would’ve had to agree, as the traditional method is in the current contract.

Next year, students and teachers will only get one week off for winter break, as Christmas and New Year’s Day both fall on Sunday.

The complete 2011-12 school calendar can be found at this link.