Avonworth School Board at its regular meeting on April 13, approved a calendar that will change the number of two-hour delay days that are built into the schedule.

The number of delay days decreased from nine to only five in the new calendar. Instead there will be the addition of one full Act 80 day. There are four full Act 80 days in the 2009-10 tentative calendar rather than the three days that are in the current 2008-09 calendar.

The Act 80 days are teacher in-service days that are designated for teachers and staff to participate in professional development programs. The schools are closed for students.

The two-hour delays also are built into the schedule for Act 80 programs.

Avonworth superintendent Dr. Valerie McDonald said that there was a survey taken of teachers about the two-hour delay days, and of the 50 responses, only two teachers preferred the current schedule. Many of the other responses, according to McDonald, cited that with the two hour delay schedule, the district "built in disruptions."

McDonald went on to say that the shortened class periods on delay days made it difficult for some teachers to accomplish what was planned for the day, especially in classes that involved labs. Board member Eric Templin said that parents that he had spoken to agreed that the two-hour delay schedule was more disruptive.

Board member Marybeth Sommers was against the tentative calendar, saying that on the full Act 80 days, there is no instruction for the students. With the two-hour delay days, there still is time for classes, she said.

"Education is driving my thoughts," Sommers said.

Sommers also noted that the reason the district went to the delay schedule last year was to provide more educational time for the students, and that she thought that the current schedule should be tried for longer than just one year.

In the tentative schedule, the first day of school students for the 2009-10 school year will be Aug. 25, and the last day will be June 4. Schools will be closed for Labor Day, which falls on Sept. 7 this year, and Memorial Day on May 31.

The two-hour delay days will be on Sept. 16, Dec. 16, Feb. 17, April 14 and May 19. The full Act 80 days, in which students will be out of school, will be held on Oct. 12, Nov. 25, Jan. 18 and March 15.

Schools will be closed Nov. 26 and 27 for Thanksgiving vacation. Winter vacation will go from Dec. 24 until Jan. 3. The schools also will close for spring vacation from March 29 to April 5.

Also in the calendar are days set aside in case the district needs to close due to an emergency. The days are scheduled to be made up in this order as they are needed: April 5, March 29, 30, 31 and April 1.

The board approved the calendar by a vote of 8-1, with Sommers voting against it.