Cobb County’s school board voted 4-2 to approve the superintendent’s 2013-14 school calendar Thursday night.
The calendar became contentious after the superintendent and two school board members proposed different calendars than the two calendars a committee of parents, teachers and community stakeholders created.
At issue was the date of the first day of school, the last day of school and how many breaks would take place throughout the academic year.
The final calendar the board agreed on has a start date of Aug. 7, a weeklong break in November, a two-week winter break and a weeklong spring break in April. The last day of school will be May 21.
Calendar committee members told board members Thursday that the superintendent ignored their hard work and didn’t include their requests for more holidays and an earlier start date.
“I feel (Superintendent Michael) Hinojosa disregarded important factors, which were the breaks,” said Lisa Miller, who served on the committee. “I don’t feel this calendar is a compromise.”
Hinojosa said his calendar was created after the committee couldn’t decide on one calendar, which he interpreted as a “punt.”
“I don’t really care what calendar we have,” Hinojosa said. “I’m trying to combine very divergent thoughts, which people are very passionate about, and come back to the board with a consensus on something we’ve already kicked the can down the road on. There’s not going to be unanimous support for anything that anybody decides on.”
In other action, the administration knocked one of two new technical high schools off a long list of construction projects to be included in a possible special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) proposal.
The board could decide as soon as next month whether to include the five-year penny-on-the-dollar sales tax on the March ballot. It would bring $797 million for capital projects to build, replace and add on to several Cobb County and city of Marietta schools.
The administration agreed to knock one of the two proposed $29 million technical high schools off the list at the request of board members and parents who felt other needs were more important. The proposed academy would provide students with technical courses to help them better prepare for careers.
Instead, the list includes $27 million for renovations at Walton High School, the replacement of a middle school in east Cobb, and adding classrooms at Teasley and Kincaid elementary schools.
The board agreed to meet again before the vote.
The entire list of proposed projects is posted on the district’s website.
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