Modesto gets a jump start on 2017-18 school year

After facing community upset over two years of delayed calendars, the Modesto City Schools Board approved the next year’s schedule ahead of time.

Newly elected board President Sue Zwahlen presided over a unanimous vote setting the 2017-18 calendar, thanking administrators for bringing it to them early.

School next fall will start Aug. 14, 2017, and will end May 31, 2018. Both fall a week later than usual to avoid cutting into teacher time off in July, 2017, said Deputy Superintendent Craig Rydquist.

The late start pushes semester’s end to Dec. 22, 2017, which means winter break officially starts Christmas Day, a Monday in 2017. Classes resume three weeks later, on Jan. 15, 2018.

The 2018 secular spring break for Modesto students will be March 26-30, ending on the holiday known as Good Friday. Easter falls on April 1 in 2018.

It will be the second year of a non-Easter-aligned spring break. For 2016-17, the district unhooked the time off from the ever-shifting week after Easter, putting it the second week after the school quarter ends.

The announcement of the change, however, came late. The board voted on the switch in mid-May – well after Sylvan, Stanislaus Union, Empire and Shiloh school districts had set their 2017 calendars to the traditional dates of April 14 (Good Friday) through April 21.

This coming year, elementary and junior high students in those districts will have spring break four weeks after their older brothers and sisters in Modesto high schools. Modesto’s spring break falls March 20-24 in 2017.

That kerfuffle followed a months-late calendar in 2015-16, held up until after school started, waiting for a contract deal with its support staff. The Modesto Teachers Association settled the calendar issue early, but did not sign a full contract until March.

This story was originally published December 6, 2016 at 6:38 PM with the headline "Modesto gets a jump start on 2017-18 school year."