Calendar Survey Questions Answers 1.11 - Gaston County Schools

A20. Because Good Friday is a holiday, the Calendar Committee felt that if
Easter/Spring days must be used for make-up, at least employees and
families will have a long weekend starting with Good Friday and continuing
with the first part of the following week. For example, if Easter Monday is a
make-up day, students and employees would be off Good Friday and have
to return on Monday and possibly face being in and out if the remainder of
the week has to be used for make-up days.
Q21. Do you realize there are 10 weeks from the January workday until March 29
and that there are 8 weeks from April 5 until Memorial Day in the 2012-13
calendar? Can’t there be workdays somewhere within those timespans?
A21. Having workdays during the dates indicated in the question will cause
school to end after June 10, which is against the calendar law. There are
several variables in the 2012-13 calendar that created challenges:
a. School can’t start until August 27, because the 25 th falls on Saturday. In
previous calendars, we’ve been able to start on August 25. So, in the
2012-13, we lost 2 days of “wiggle room” in placing workdays.
b. 2012 is a Presidential election year. Many of schools are used as polls,
requiring us to relinquish an instructional day. This causes the 3 rd lost
day.
c. When Christmas falls on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday, the
calendar law requires school systems to award 3 holidays in December.
In 2012, Christmas falls on a Tuesday. While it’s not a lost day like “a”
and “b” above, it does impact the placement of annual leave days.
Q22. Why is Veterans Day being observed on Monday, November 12, 2012?
Can’t it be moved to Friday, November 9?
A22. In 2012, Veterans Day falls on Sunday. However, the Federal Government
is observing it Monday, November 12.