Bummer! Next Year, School Ends on a Monday in June

Nobody wants it to end this way.

The last day of public school in Holmdel in 2013 is scheduled to be held on Monday, June 24. Three precious days after the official start of summer. To make it worse, it's not even a full-day. Just a four-hour session.

"Are we crazy about having it end on a Monday?" said Board of Education President Barbara Garrity. "Heck, no." She said, "Believe me, if we could have avoided it, we would have. This is one of those years when this is very difficult to avoid."

After discussion, the Board of Education approved the final day at their January 11 meeting. The members had to consider fitting in the required 180 days, working in a school closure for the November Presidential election to accomodate polling, teacher in-service dates, parents' long-expressed desire to take off Easter Monday (after spring break), anticipated snow days, the teachers' contract, and more.

Even if they could pull the calendar back one day, the board took into consideration that not all graduating seniors would be able to participate in a Friday evening graduation and the Project Graduation overnight celebration that follows it. So they would need to cut two days to bring the last day of school to Thursday. "The challenge is configuring a better alternative," said Garrity. "There are some pieces that aren't very moveable," she said.

Some parents are just learning about it now, and are hoping to press school officials to change the date before the graduation venue is booked. The June 24 release might make it harder to book camp or summer jobs, some say, not to mention get away for a family vacation.

But according to Holmdel High School Principal William Loughran, the Brookdale Community College Collins Arena was booked long ago. The Satz and High School graduation ceremonies will be held at Brookdale College on the Monday, June 24. The Project Graduation party for seniors is also that night.

The dreaded Monday school finale has a precedent. "I know a Monday date is unusual - but it is not unique -- I remember we graduated on a Monday in 2002 but back then it was because the PNC Bank Arts Center had a conflict," said Loughran.