2016-17 Clover school calendar up for review

Clover schools will likely end first semester before the winter holiday.

Clover School District Board of Trustees passed the first reading for the draft of the 2016-2017 school calendar at the regular meeting Jan. 25. The board plans to finalize the schedule at the next meeting Feb. 22.

Bryan Dillon, district public information officer, said from four drafts, Draft D with 86 days in the first semester and 94 in the second was favored by staff, teachers and parents.

“Most teachers have seen it,” Dillon said.

He said teachers find the longer second semester favorable because of testing time.

School will start the third Monday in August, as required by the state, on Aug. 15, and the last day could be May 26.

First semester would end on Wednesday, Dec. 21. Winter break would run eight days Dec. 22-Jan. 3. Second semester would start Jan. 4. Spring break would be April 17-21, similar to Fort Mill and York schools’ current draft plans, while Rock Hill could be the first week in April, Dillon said.

Bad weather makeup days would be Feb. 20, March 13 and April 14. Graduation would be June 1.

Dillon said two days he had to consider creating the plan with other public information officers in the county was losing the leap year day, Feb. 29, this year and also the upcoming Election Day, Nov. 8.

Dr. Marc Sosne explained state law says schools can’t start before the third week in August.

“This should be the last year,” he said. In 2017-18, he said the schools should be able to create calendar “to best fist our district.”

To view the Draft D calender, visit lakewyliepilot.com. Comments are being accepted by contacting Dillon at 803-810-8026 or email Bryan.Dillon@clover.k12.sc.us, and at the next school board meeting.

Apple approval

The board also approved the Apple Lease Amendment presented by assistant superintendent Ken Love. The request is for $1.5 million for the next three years for the one-to-one program to be implemented March 1.

“It’s in addition to, but part of the plan,” Love said. “It’s in the budget but a little more than we thought.”

Love said with more students, there’s more needs for cables and other computer-related needs.

“You have to keep improving,’ he said.

Love said “it will require us to find a little more money in the IT budget.”

This story was originally published January 26, 2016 at 10:04 AM with the headline "2016-17 Clover school calendar up for review."