By: Killian Johnson, Reporter
Up until now, Seminole County Public Schools, have held the school year from the beginning of August until the end of May. Starting next school year, SCPS will begin all schools about two weeks later than usual.
Seminole County School Board member Tim Harper says, “The summer of 2015 will be extended due to the end date of the current 2014-2015 school year and the later start date of the 2015-2016 school year. The late start will result in summer 2015 being extended by 1-2 weeks.”
While this will have no effect on the 2015 seniors’ class, next year’s graduating class will be affected. It is tradition for seniors to end school a week earlier than everyone else. Since next school year does not end until June 7th, seniors aren’t dismissed until the end of May, which is the same time their class has been released in previous years. So they will graduate early, but it will still be the last week of May.
Junior Jonathan Ebberhart says, “Given the choice, I’d choose to keep the schedule we have had because everyone is used to it but I do not think anyone will care too much since time is being added to the summer next year.”
This schedule change mainly affects sophomores and freshman, since they will be held with this new school year longer. Although next years’ seniors will not graduate as early as previous classes’ seniors, they only have to deal with this schedule change for a year.
Sophomore Jennifer Ladines says “I think a lot of students will not like this change because they won’t want to start summer later. I do not think it will cause damage or help. We are still in school for the same amount of time and our summer in still the same. Two years really is not that long for me but I would still choose the schedule we have now because it has always worked so well.”
The breaks that occur throughout the school year: Christmas break, spring break etc, will still be in place even with the change in the school year calendar. This also applies to the exam schedule students have throughout the year.
Harper says, “Student non-attendance days traditionally seen in prior year’s calendars are still included in the new 2015-2016 calendar.”
Though the school year will be moved a little later than normal, things will stay the same for the most part. Exams will fall in place when they usually do at the end of every nine weeks, and winter break as well as all other breaks, will still take place as they usually do. The only real effect is the end of the school year being moved later.