An overwhelming number of parents in Grand Forks Public Schools want the school year to start before Labor Day and end before Memorial Day, according to the results of a district survey released Friday.
The school year generally begins the final week in August.
School Board members are expected to use the survey results to determine 2008-09 and 2009-10 school calendars during a meeting Tuesday. The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. in the Grand Forks Education Center.
More than twice the number of parents 1,074 to 405 preferred school to start even earlier if need be, during the second-to-last week in August, rather than after Labor Day in September, the survey showed. The earlier start date would guarantee the tradition of holding graduation on the Sunday before Memorial Day.
Grand Forks School staff members, who also were surveyed, actually were split evenly on their preference for school to start either the second-to-last week or final week in August, with both options getting 255 votes. Starting the final week in August may allow school to end by Memorial Day, but would not guarantee it.
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The Grand Forks School District has surveyed its residents a few times in the past 20 years, and every time, they say school should start before Labor Day. Most schools in North Dakota begin mid- to late August.
Parent surveys were conducted this year during fall school conferences. Students were not polled.
Board member Tim Lamb said Friday that questions from parents about the school calendar prompted the district to conduct the survey.
The issue may have been on parents' minds following the North Dakota Legislature's defeat of a measure this past session that would have required schools to start after Labor Day. State tourism officials say the late start would be beneficial for family vacations and the state's economy.
Lamb said parents were polled rather than students because, "we didn't want a duplication of efforts, so it was kind of like one vote per family." Families were informed before conferences that the surveys would be conducted, he said.
The district also has tried to work with UND schedules and military activities at Grand Forks Air Force Base in determining the school calendar, but each organization has different needs, Lamb said.
"We've tried to collaborate with those other entities, but it's very difficult, if not impossible, to try and synchronize everybody's calendar," he said. ". . .The calendar is one of those things where you can never please everybody."
The surveys asked parents and staff to rank three options of when to start school:
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-- During the second-to-last week of August, ensuring school to end and graduation to be held before Memorial Day. This was the No. 1 choice by 1,329 respondents: 1,074 parents and 255 staff members.
-- During the last week of August, which may require school to end and graduation to be held after Memorial Day. This was the No. 1 choice by 725 respondents: 470 parents and 255 staff members.
-- After Labor Day, knowing it would require school to end and graduation to be held in June. It also would require summer school classes to end in August rather than July. This was the No. 1 choice by 587 respondents: 405 parents and 182 staff members.
Ricker covers elementary and secondary education. Reach Ricker at (701) 780-1104; (800) 477-6572, ext. 104; or aricker@gfherald.com .
