“Balanced” school calendar survey produces mixed results

Parents in DeKalb County should get a paper survey from the school system this week asking their attendance calendar preferences.

A recent online survey garnered mixed results from 7,000 respondents, with half favoring the traditional calendar for the next school year and half preferring a so-called “balanced” calendar with a shorter summer vacation and extra breaks during the school year.

However, a clear majority of the nearly 1,500 teachers who took the survey wanted a balanced calendar while most parents preferred the traditional calendar. Officials plan to probe each group again, hoping for more input before a school board vote Monday.