Poll Open for CMS 2016-17 School Calendar Options

If you have a child in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, now’s your chance to vote on the 2016-17 school calendar. The poll, which opened Tuesday, March 10, is open through next Tuesday March 17. There are two calendar options. The two options were designed by a committee of CMS teachers, students, principals, administrators, parents and community members designed with various options for teacher workdays, annual leave days and holidays throughout the school year.

The biggest difference I immediately see between the two calendars is the winter break timeline. Calendar B has the break beginning on Dec. 19-30 with students returning to school on Jan. 2. With the calendar A option, students’ winter break would begin Thursday, Dec. 22-Jan. 3, with students returning to class on Jan. 4. With each calendar, a week of spring break is scheduled April 10-14, but calendar A includes one extra day of spring break on April 7.

Both calendars meet the requirements of North Carolina law, and policies of the North Carolina Board of Education and Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education policies. Among those requirements there must be 215 days total, made up of:

• 185 instructional days or 1,025 instructional hours
• 10 annual leave days
• 11 holidays
• Teacher workdays
• School may start no earlier than the Monday closest to Aug. 26
• School must close no later than the Friday closest to June 11
• Veterans Day must be a holiday

After the polling period ends, Superintendent Ann Clark will review the results and evaluate comments submitted by staff, parents and community members. She will then recommend a calendar option to the Board of Education. The Board of Education will approve the 2016-2017 school calendar in May. (This poll does not apply to the continuous learning calendar with extended time at Project L.I.F.T. schools).