School year to start earlier

BURBANK ? Burbank Unified School District students will begin school a week earlier next fall, and parents are worried that they will soon lose August to earlier start dates.

“I can understand some of the concerns, but like many parents I still believe in the sanctity of August,” said William McKinley Elementary School mother Suzanne Weerts.

The Aug. 28 start date, a week earlier than previous years, could interrupt summer school programs and travel plans, and leave students in hot playgrounds and classrooms, she said.

Their apprehension stems not from the earlier start date, but of future calendar changes that would push the school year deep into the early part of August.

“It’s part of a long-term plan,” said Joel Shapiro, Assistant Supt. of Instructional Services. “The ultimate goal is to start earlier and to make the first semester end before winter break.”

When the semester starts after Labor Day ? Sept. 4 ? final exams are not scheduled until three weeks after the break. Winter recess this school year was Dec. 19 to Jan. 2. Exams this year ended on Jan. 26.

Moving the whole semester up just makes sense, said Supt. Gregory Bowman.

“It’s really hard to capture everyone’s schedule,” Bowman said. “We have to have a blend here of what’s good for instruction and what’s good for parents and students.”

With next school year’s start date, however, exams will remain after winter break. The earlier start date will push up the exam dates, leaving students with about two weeks to refresh their memories after the break rather than three.

Shapiro believes the change to Aug. 28 will not have a detrimental aspect on the students.

“The difference in the end of first semester for next year and in past years is not very great,” he said.

Students seem unconcerned with the change.

“I didn’t even know about it,” lamented 14-year-old Jeff Earle, a student at John-Muir Middle School. “Nobody tells us anything.”

Shount Davoodian said he didn’t mind the change.

“As long as we get out earlier, then I’m cool with it,” the 14-year-old said.

The real advantage of the initial push-back is the added instructional days before state exams, Shapiro said.

“We have some testing that is determined by our district calendar,” Shapiro said. “Other test dates are set aside by the state, which we have to live with. There’s an obvious connection between days of instruction and preparation for these tests ? we believe every day of instruction counts.”

To arrange the calendar so the semester ends in time with winter break, schools will eventually have to start in early August, Shapiro said.

The district, however, has promised not to push the start date back any further until all the schools in the district have air conditioning.

“We’ve made a commitment not to start any earlier than this while we’re completing the modernization.” Shapiro said.

Even with that reassurance, parent’s concerns persist.

“I’ve found that Texas schools have been doing this for a while, and now they’re moving the start date back [to September],” said Lauren Wygle, a parent at Burbank High School.

Alexandra Helfrich, a parent at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School, worried that she would be unable to enroll her children in any summer programs that run through August.

Other parents worried that the earlier start date would require the district to change the age requirements for incoming kindergarten students.

Shapiro promised parents that the district will research all their concerns before moving the start date farther in to August.

“We have the time to research all the things we’re looking at,” he said.