The Northgate School Board's annual debate over when to start classes in the fall is expected to be settled at the Dec. 12 board meeting.

Board members continue to discuss whether school should start before or after Labor Day, with the calendar changing in that regard almost every year.

"We're annoying the parents," board member Dr. Shannon Smithey stated at a meeting last Monday. She again suggested the board pick a firm date -- such as Sept. 1 -- which may result in classes starting before or after the holiday, depending on how the dates fall. For instance, in 2012 Sept. 1 is a Saturday, which means that students would return to classes on Sept. 4.

Superintendent Dr. Reggie Bonfield reminded board members that both teachers and administrators prefer a pre-Labor Day start because of the difficulty in scheduling enough school days, especially for seniors, before the traditional end of the school year. School closings due to winter weather could force classes on days that are not conducive to high attendance numbers, Bonfield said, with the result being that the school loses state subsidies.

Starting before Labor Day also gives students an extra day off at Thanksgiving. Board member Marita Bartholomew suggested closing the schools the Wednesday before Thanksgiving instead of giving students the Monday after Thanksgiving as an off-day. Bartholomew said that the change would accommodate families that travel for the holiday, and noted that there are not so many deer hunters among Northgate's student body.