Schools in Catawba County's districts to begin Aug. 7

All three school systems in Catawba County plan to cut summer short this year, sending students back to school on Aug. 7 instead of Aug. 27.

Hickory Public Schools and Newton-Conover City Schools will both apply for a weather waiver from the state, and approved a new calendar at their board meetings Monday night that would allow the 2012-13 school year to begin on Aug. 7 for students and get out on May 23, 2013. The calendars are contingent upon the state board of education approving the waivers. It’s expected the state board will approve the calendars by May.

Catawba County Schools approved its calendar with the same start and end date on Jan. 30.

All three school systems have teachers going back to work on Aug. 2 and ending their school year on May 28, with May 29 being an annual leave day.

Hickory Public Schools approved its calendar unanimously, after it put out a brief survey among its staff asking their opinion. More than half were strongly in favor of the new calendar, and about 80 percent were in favor or strongly in favor of it, said Tim Sims, director of federal programs.

. In addition to having exams before the Christmas break, the main difference between the two calendars is that Feb. 18 will now be a student day, Sims said.

Board Chairwoman Angela Beaver Simmons saying the system will work with people who already had vacations lined up prior to the calendar change.

“It’s important to consider the issues of the community, and hopefully this will greatly improve the test scores,” Simmons said. “Having to make them wait two weeks to take exams is cruel and unusual punishment.”

Two parents at the Newton-Conover City Schools’ board of education meeting didn’t agree.

Candy Hess said her family values the time they spend during the summer breaks, taking vacations they wouldn’t during the school year and bonding as a family. She said when the school year begins in late August, her daughters are excited to begin the school year. By moving up the start of school, Hess didn’t think her daughters would feel the same.

She said the reasons that have been mentioned for the weather waiver — taking exams prior to Christmas, dual enrollment for college classes and snow days — do not hold water.

“Newton-Conover students earned more than $3 million in scholarships last year,” Hess said. “And dual enrollment is up, as far as my research could tell. I haven’t been able to find anybody who hasn’t enrolled in classes because of the schedule.”

Another mother, Leah Martin, also voiced concerns at Monday’s board meeting. She said her family enjoys going back to school after the Old Soldiers Reunion parade, one of the largest events in Newton each year, which is held in the middle of August.

However, her real concern was that the new calendar would be temporary.

“My biggest concern is that it will change back, because this is due to the weather,” Martin said. “We could have this undone, potentially.”

Board member Kim Cline said she’s heard the pros and agrees with them, but said she’s received numerous phone calls from parents who have already made plans for the summer or have unique situations regarding plans that cannot be changed.

Fellow member Jeanne Jarrett said she was concerned about the new middle school’s construction being completed on time. It is scheduled to open for the 2012-13 school year. After hearing a presentation about it during the meeting, she said those concerns were abated.

Board Chairman Scott Loudermelt said the law that was passed by the state legislature during the 2003-04 session was designed by the tourism industry, and did not have the schools’ best interests in mind. The law states schools cannot begin before Aug. 25 or get out after June 10 without a weather waiver.

“The ABCs (of testing) are about local control,” Loudermelt said, adding it was time the school system exercised it.

Newton-Conover City Schools voted five to one in favor of the weather waiver, with Cline voting against it.