APSB Executive Committee approves 2018-19 school calendar

Opening day of the 2018-19 school year will be Aug. 9 for students, the Avoyelles School District’s Executive Committee decided at its Feb. 27 meeting.

The committee-approved calendar was expected to be adopted by the full board at its meeting this past Tuesday. That meeting occurred after press time for this edition.

Student Information System Coordinator Luke Welch presented the calendar to the committee. A group of 34 administrators, teachers, paraprofessionals and parents met Feb. 7 to consider the 2018-19 school calendar and unanimously endorsed this one.

The calendar provides 87 class days per semester. It also includes enough “instructional minutes” to cover six emergency days during the school year, for weather-related or other emergencies requiring schools to be closed.

The school system took two days out of staff development to give the extra two instructional days. This means teachers will have eight staff development days instead of 10 next school year.

Another change is to have Easter break the week before Easter rather than the week after, which has been the customary practice.

Welch said Easter falls on April 21, 2019. Students will be out the week before and the Monday after Easter.

“If we had taken the week off after Easter, as soon as the students returned to school they would begin testing,” Welch explained. “This way the students will be back at school getting prepared for testing a week before.”

Mardi Gras holidays will be two days, March 4 & 5, 2019. In the past, students were given the Friday before Mardi Gras off, but not in this calendar.

While students start Aug. 9, teachers report to their schools Aug. 7.

The Christmas break will run from Dec. 21 to Jan. 9 for students. Teachers will have staff development Jan. 7 and 8.

The last day of school for students will be May 23, 2019.

Graduation dates will be May 14, 2019 at LaSAS, May 15 for Marksville High, May 16 for Avoyelles High and May 17 for Bunkie High.