NJ-SP Schools See Benefits of Balanced Calendar

North Judson-San Pierre Admin buildingThe North Judson-San Pierre School Board has decided to follow suit and adopt their next school year calendar.

During last night’s meeting, the group reviewed the proposed balanced calendar. The balanced calendar removes time during the summer to allocate days off more evenly throughout the school year. Superintendent Lynn Johnson says there are several benefits.

“It’s optimal for learning situations, but also for teachers,” says Johnson. “It gives them the time to regroup, to refocus, reidentify student strengths and weaknesses, when we have our data back, it also allows us to analyze data and see where kids are.”

The first student day for the 2015 school year will be August 5th. Students will receive a full week off from classes in October.

The changes to the calendar allow the North Judson-San Pierre School Corporation to be more in line with other vocational and trade schools in the area. Many schools in both Starke and Marshall County have adopted similar measures.

Johnson says testing was also a concern in development of the calendar.

“Almost all, with the exception of a handful of schools, have their spring breaks at those times, so testing dates would not conflict,” says Johnson. “So we’ll go the last week of March, the first week of April.”

The Board of Education adopted the proposed balanced calendar unanimously.