Sloppy schedule: shorter summer break coming soon
The first day of school for the Sioux Falls School District for 2018 will be Aug. 23, a week and a half earlier than the previous year.
March 5, 2018
On April 17, 2017, school board members voted unanimously to approve the schedule for the new 2018-2019 academic school year.
The school board members passed the new schedule in 14-7 vote. With this new change, the school year will start on Aug. 23 and end on May 21. Because of the transition, the 2018 summer will be shortened to two months. Some feel that the new schedule was able to compromise the schedule that is put in place now and the schedule three years ago. However, others–teachers and students alike–feel that the shortened summer and new schedule only entails more stress.
“That’s terrible, it makes me nervous in terms of coming back from break and having enough time to get everyone back into the groove of things and t review for semester tests. I also feel like we get a few fewer breaks in the calendar next year which is tough as a teacher like you kind of need those days here and there to deal with life stuff,” said LHS algebra teacher Jodi Tomjack.
Tomjack is just one of the many teachers who feel that the new schedule creates problematic stress. Semester tests will take place a week after winter break and teachers like Tomjack feel that this is not enough time for students to review. The new schedule also results in fewer breaks over the course of the school year. Breaks allow both teachers and students time to recoup and focus on their lives outside of school. Another main altercation specific to this year is the shortened summer.
“The shortened summer will affect students and their families vacations, which I think it makes students upset that they are getting time taken away from their activities or events that happen in their summers. I also like starting later because it is still very warm outside at the end of August. When we start earlier we miss out on a lot of good summer days,” said LHS sophomore Nyah Thaemert.
Although the new schedule was intended to be a compromise, some find that the new calendar is not sufficient when it comes to timing.
“I rather prefer the calendar the way it is now or the way we used to have it, but this kinda in the middle seems a little tough,” said Tomjack.
