×

2013-14 Marietta school calendar approved by board

Marietta City Schools students will have an extra day off for Thanksgiving and return from Christmas break a day earlier under a 2013-14 calendar approved Monday by the district board of education.

The calendar was approved during a brief special meeting at the administration office, along with a few other items.

The calendar originally submitted to the board last week included a three-day Thanksgiving break, from Nov. 27-29, and had students returning from Christmas break on Tuesday, Jan. 7. At the request of some families, a change was made to also give students the Monday after Thanksgiving, Dec. 2, off. That’s the first day of hunting season, when many area schools usually see a few additional absences, said Marietta High School Principal Bill Lee.

“That Monday after Thanksgiving is referred to a ‘Deer Day,'” he said, adding there is not a large increase in absences.

Students’ first day back to school in 2014 will be Monday, Jan. 6.

“To get that day back, we come back from Christmas vacation one day sooner,” Superintendent Harry Fleming said.

The board did not consider bids for a planned expansion and renovation at the high school, as they’d been expected to when the meeting was announced last week. That will take place in another special meeting at 8:30 a.m. Friday.

“We’re just looking into the bids a little bit closer,” said board President Greg Gault, who said they could not be released because some information was still being verified.

The board also approved holding a public hearing at its July meeting on the intention of two district employees – high school language arts teacher Ellen Nutter and Washington Elementary fifth-grade teacher Kristen Stone – to retire and be rehired by the district. A third person, middle school language arts/pre-algebra teacher Sandra Wilson, is expected to be added to that hearing during Friday’s meeting.

All three would go back to the bottom of the salary scale but would continue to be compensated based on their level of education, Fleming said. The superintendent described them as “really outstanding teachers” the district wants to keep.

Stone and Wilson would see their salaries go from $56,822 a year to $36,835, while Nutter’s would be $28,554, down from $44,687.

The moves would save the district more than $56,000 a year, not including potential insurance savings, since retired/rehired employees pay a higher percentage of their premiums.

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.15/week.

Subscribe Today