Post-Labor Day Start Back at Foxborough Schools

FOXBOROUGH, MA - Students in Foxborough will once again go back to school after Labor Day.

After an early start this school year, the Foxborough School Committee voted 3-2 for a traditional 2016-17 school calendar, which would see students come back to school on Tuesday, Sept. 6.

Committee members Beverly Lord and Marilyn Weiss voted against the motion.

The vote ends about five weeks of discussions over whether the students should start after Labor Day or Aug. 31, the Wednesday before the holiday. During discussions, opinions were split on when the new school year should begin. According to a staff poll conducted by Superintendent Debra Spinelli, 112 preferred the tradition calendar, 92 wanted an early return, and eight had no opinion.

Supporters for the early start argued that students would get more quality educational time with fewer days in June,

“Having been a former teacher I tend towards the instructional positivity of this,” Lord said.

Chairman Bruce Gardner, however, leaned towards the regular return, reminding the board of a promise last year to not turn early returns into a habit.

“I struggled with it too because I think it’s our job to do what’s best instructionally,” he said. “There’s educational value to kids being with their families in the summer and doing summer activities”

“Our students are going to get 180 days of good education either way,” committee member Tina Belanger added.

The debate over the start of school should be the last one for a few years. The next late Labor Day isn’t until Sept. 7, 2020.