Olentangy school board OKs 2017-18 calendar

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The calendar for the 2017-18 school year was recently approved by the Olentangy Board of Education.

The first day of school will be Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2017. In contrast, the current school year began on Wednesday, Aug. 12, 2015; and the next school year will begin on Wednesday, Aug. 17, 2016. The last day of school will be Tuesday, May 22, 2018. That is between this school year’s last day of Friday, May 20, 2016, and the next school year on Wednesday, May 24, 2017.

“The most common comment was for a later start and release time,” said Randy Wright, chief of administrative services. “We are pleased with our model.”

The draft of the calendar was originally presented in February, and comments were sought from the public and staff, Wright said. There were 174 public comments, and 37 staff comments. Last year, he said there were 750 comments, mostly complaining about the early start date.

“The second most common comment was to shorten winter break,” Wright said. “A lot of community members said they were happier with a shorter winter break because of work schedules. If their kids are staying at home an extra week, they’re already back at work.”

The 2017-18 winter break is Dec. 22, 2017-Jan. 2, 2018. That’s shorter than the current year’s break Dec. 18, 2015-Jan. 4, 2016; and one day shorter than 2016-17.

Spring break is March 26-30, 2018.

The 2017-18 school year has 176 days of school; with 85 days in the first semester (2017), and 91 days in the second semester (2018). The first quarter of 45 days will end Oct. 20, 2017; the third quarter of 50 days will end March 16, 2018.

There will be no school for holidays on Sept. 4 (Labor Day); Oct. 13 (COTA Day); Nov. 23-24 (Thanksgiving break); Jan. 15 (Martin Luther King Jr. Day); Feb. 19 (Presidents Day); Sept. 18, Nov. 27, Feb. 16 (professional development days for teachers); Nov. 22 and Apr. 27 (conference exchange day); and Jan. 2 (teacher work day).

In answer to a board question, Wright said that this school year’s commencements will be May 15 in the Celeste Center at the Ohio State Expo Center. He said the timing and traffic of the annual “Rock on the Range” concerts at Crew Stadium will eventually move the commencements to the Schottenstein Center on the Ohio State University campus. Wright said the venue will be able to hold four commencements in a day once the district’s fourth high school opens.

Work on planning the 2018-19 school year calendar will begin later this year, Wright said.

By Gary Budzak

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Gary Budzak may be reached at 740-413-0904 or on Twitter @GaryBudzak.

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