The Fort Thomas Board of Education approved the calendar for the 2014-2015 on Monday night. The initial tentative vote on the calendar was taken at a board meeting in January 2013. 

“In the end, a majority of our Board members felt that it was important to stick with the original calendar,” said Superintendent Gene Kirchner. “I believe this decision was grounded in the fact that families may have already developed plans for next school year based on that calendar. School districts produce draft calendars well in advance in order to allow families to plan ahead. Thus, there was some concern about potential conflicts which might arise from modifying the calendar at this late juncture. Even though Option C received more votes in the most recent survey, those who voted against it consistently commented on the potential for conflicts related to changing the calendar at this time.”

(A list of similarities and differences between Option A and Option C are at the end of this article).

“We realize that there are differences of opinion on calendar options. This is reinforced each time we conduct a calendar survey. Indeed, this was not a unanimous decision even among our Board members. However, I am extremely confident that each of them voted for what they believed to be in the best interest of our students and families. That is exactly what they are elected to do,” said Kirchner. 

That original vote was
based on a survey of the public which had been taken in advance of that
meeting.  There were about 1,200 votes tabulated from a base of around 16,000 Fort Thomas residents representing around 3,000 in the school system.

The results of the first survey was as follows:

The majority, slightly more than 1/3,
voted in favor of Calendar A, which included an early start date, an early end
date and liberal days off spread throughout the calendar.  

The next highest
vote, at slightly less than 1/3, abstained from voting, as this group
apparently had no preference.  In terms of parliamentary procedure, the “non-vote” is counted with the
affirmative votes.  

The final group, garnering the least votes at lesser,
but still nearly 1/3 of the votes, expressed a preference for a late start, a
late end and minimal days off throughout the school year, (Calendar B).

According to School Board Member, Scott Johnson, who reiterated to FTM that this was his personal perspective, there were four main items that were accomplished at the meeting. “Based
upon the popular vote and based upon our traditional policy of approving the
calendar one year in advance in order to afford family’s who need this amount
of time for planning the Board:  1) Requested public input; 2) Received a clear
majority of 56%, over 2/3 if you count the abstentions; 3) Voted on the matter;
4) Approved the decision of the majority by a vote of 4-1 Board members.”

About 6 months ago a buzz on social media began to percolate around the early start date for next year’s calendar. According to Johnson, “The dominant thrust of this group, which now questioned a six month old vote, seemed to revolve around the degree to which the school calendar interfered with their particular vacation schedule, given the summer sports activities favored by their children.”


Fast forward another 6 months to the January 2014 meeting, several weeks ago. There were about 12 parents that attended that Board of Education meeting to give their input and object to the vote taken a year prior in January 2013 and to support the alternative calendar (calendar C).

“Given that the Board seldom receives feedback and was frankly somewhat conflicted on whether to honor our vote from a year ago or entertain the compromise proposed by what was presumed to be a vocal minority, we tabled the vote on considering an alternative calendar, (to the one approved in January of 2013) and requested that a constituent survey be repeated as a fact-finding measure,” said Johnson.  


This new survey came back at roughly 60% in favor of the Calendar C, roughly 40% retained a preference for Calendar A and there were few abstentions.

This second, most recent vote has caused pushback on social media, leaving many wondering why the Board entertained a second vote that preferred the alternative calendar C if that vote would essentially be overruled by the School Board. 

“I
think it’s highly insulting to go against the survey. I voted for option C, however if option A had been the majority, I would feel the same way. Go with
the majority of the survey or don’t ask us at all,” said Fort Thomas resident, Laura Chambers. 

Karla Grubbs, another resident, echoed that sentiment, “I
voted for the later start date (option C). Many parents I spoke with voted for
that date as well. Before long we will be going all year. Does anyone else
remember starting after Labor Day?”


Regardless of the outcome, the School Board was in a tough position after receiving two different preferences from two different votes. 



“The Board was required to make a decision to convey the integrity and
reliability of our policy decisions to those who had taken our January, 2013
vote to heart and made plans accordingly or reverse Board policy, at a
relatively late date, in order to better accommodate personal vacation schedule
preferences and/or “letting kids be kids.”  I hope that all will
understand that it was our Board obligation to uphold our vote of January, 2013
and to ultimately pay homage to those of our students, our upperclassmen,
who are reaching the culmination of their college and career ready,
K-12 trajectory, by not only affording greater opportunities to make
an informed and wise college selection, but also to allow them to become
“free agents” for work, work-study, internships, and yes, celebratory
vacations, by completing classes sooner, rather than later,” said Johnson. “To the
parents of younger kids, please do let kids be kids and take all of the family
vacations that you can, as the years when your kids will voluntarily, (or
involuntarily) attend are few.  But in the end, this Board MUST honor our
commitments to our constituents and MUST do what is in the academic best
interests of ALL students.”

—————————–

Option A vs. Option C


Similarities: 

Labor
Day; three days off for Thanksgiving; two week winter break; Martin Luther King
Day; spring break; Memorial Day; and Primary and General Election Days. Please
note that Kentucky law requires us to close on elections days and on Martin
Luther King Day.

Differences: 

Option
A

First
Student Day, August 14 (Thursday)

October
Break for NKEA, October 9 & 10 – No School

Presidents’
Day, February 13 & 16 – No School

Last
Student Day, May 27

Make-Up
Days, May 28, 29, June 1, 2

Option
C

First
Student Day, August 19 (Tuesday)

October
Break for NKEA, October 10 – No School

Presidents’
Day, February 16 – No School

Last
Student Day, May 28

Make-Up
Days, May 29, June 1, 2, 3

Twitter.