Area school corporations continue to present information about a balanced calendar school schedule. Argos, Culver, John Glenn, Knox, North Judson-San Pierre, Oregon-Davis, Plymouth and Triton are all considering the approach. During a meeting last night at the high school cafeteria, Knox Superintendent A.J. Gappa stressed the balanced calendar is not year-round school. It still provides the state-mandated 180 days of classroom instruction. School would start about a week or a week-and-a-half earlier than it does now and end at the beginning of June. The schedule would also feature two-week breaks for remediation and vacation in the fall and spring. Research indicates student grades improve and discipline problems decrease when schools go to the balanced calendar approach. Additionally, students retain more knowledge from one school year to the next. Gappa says corporations that are part of the same special education and vocational cooperatives are all considering the balanced calendar approach in order to more easily streamline educational opportunities. Right now they’re still in the process of educating parents, teachers, students and members of the public. If they move to a balanced calendar, it will not take effect until the 2015-2016 school year. Gappa says there’s not a time frame for when a decision will be made.
Additional balanced calendar meetings are scheduled at the following schools:
Monday, March 10 – Triton Administration Building 7 p.m. EDT
Tuesday, March 11 – Walkerton Elementary – 7 p.m. EDT
Wednesday, March 12 – Oregon-Davis Board Room – 6 p.m. CDT
Wednesday, March 12 – Culver High School – 7 p.m. EDT
Thursday, March 13 – Argos Administration Building – 6 p.m. EDT
Thursday, March 13 – John Glenn High School – 7 p.m. EDT
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