Monday, November 23, 1998

This time next year

Just a reminder for Abilene parents: This time next year, your children will be home from school - all week.

When the Abilene school board adopted its budget for the 1998-99 school year, it also approved a calendar for the 1999-2000 school year that calls for a full week's break at Thanksgiving.

Apparently, the school board felt a two-day school week wasn't productive. The kids will love it, too, of course.

But what about the parents who still must work Monday and Tuesday of Thanksgiving week and maybe also Wednesday and Friday? Who's going to look after their young children on those school holidays? And how much sense does it make to have a week's vacation three weeks before the end of the semester and Christmas?

Abilene parents have a whole year to prepare for this cultural change - and to prepare their arguments for the school board before the 2000-01 calendar is adopted.