Saugus discusses earlier start date for school year

SAUGUS – Spring may be around the corner, but it?s next year?s snow days that have Superintendent Michael Tempesta concerned.At a School Committee meeting Thursday, Tempesta suggested adjusting the school calendar for a pre-Labor Day start to the school year. Tempesta said an earlier start would allow more wiggle room for snow cancellations and allow for a day off on days that typically had low attendance, like Good Friday in the spring, the Jewish high holy days in the fall and the Wednesday before Thanksgiving that was used typically as a “travel day.”Tempesta added that other districts he had worked in typically started school before Labor Day. He said he often heard from principals at high schools and middle schools that most families stayed close to home around Labor Day weekend because of pre-season training for fall sports. Tempesta said he had one colleague in Taunton who did away with February vacation, opting for a long weekend instead of a week off for students.Vice Chairman Jeannie Meredith said starting school before Labor Day has “generally never been well-received in this town.”Meredith said while families involved in middle school and high school athletics may be open to the idea, there were still plenty of families with elementary school-aged children. She suggested sending a survey to school parents to gauge their feelings on the matter.Chairman Wendy Reed said now was the time to start planning if they wanted it to be well-received. “The earlier we set the school calendar, the better, because parents can plan vacations.”Committee member Vincent Serino agreed with Tempesta that most other districts started before Labor Day.?But when you?re starting summer on July 1 like last year ? it just goes so fast,” said Meredith.Reed suggested adding more school days into the calendar to plan ahead. Instead of planning for five school days, she said, plan for seven. “This is an unusual year,” she added. “We don?t usually have this many snow days.”