Hurley School board approves 2019-20 school year calendar

HURLEY — The Hurley School board approved the 2019-20 school year calendar at its meeting Monday evening.

The first day of school will be Tuesday, Sept. 3. The last day of school is set for Friday, June 5.

Administrator Chris Patritto said the calendar calls for 177 days of school, adding the state doesn’t count days as much as it does hours.

The state prohibits starting school before Sept. 1. Patritto said they have applied for a waiver in the past but were denied with a hundred or more other schools.

He told the Daily Globe later that the state has a few reasons it will approve a waiver, including construction and act of God.

“It’s hard with sports. We had three football games before the start of school this year, plus the beginning of volleyball and cross-country,” he said. “There are schools who have student with dual enrollment in colleges and would like to start earlier.”

He told the school board the state looks at the issue with each biennial budget. “The idea of an early start was gaining steam last time. We’ll see.”

The board had a briefly discussed the idea of trying to start before Sept. 1 anyway. What could the state do?

“Keep your state aid,” said Patritto.

The board discussed the proposed calendar briefly, including pointing out there will be school on Monday and Tuesday, Nov. 25-26, of the week of Thanksgiving. This week which follows the Saturday opening of Wisconsin deer hunting season has traditionally been a full week off of school.

School will not meet for three days that week — Wednesday, Nov. 27, through Friday, Nov. 29.

Assistant superintendent Kevin Genisot said with the Sept. 3 start and not wanting to go past June 5, it was a bit of a challenge.

“We did give them a usual break around President’s Day — half of Friday (Feb. 14) and then Monday (Feb. 17) off,” he said.

The last day of school before Christmas will be Friday, Dec. 20 and classes will resume Thursday, Jan. 2.

Spring break will run Monday, April 6 through Monday, April 13, the day after Easter. Classes will resume Tuesday, April 14.

There will be no school on Memorial Day, Monday, May 20.

—Larry Holcombe