HURON — For the first time in many years, the Huron Public School district will consider a school calendar that features classes that begin before Labor Day.
“We have utilized what is basically the same calendar every year for the past four years, since the advent of Splash Central Water Park, and the construction taking place at the elementary schools,” said Huron Superintendent Terry Nebelsick in an interview earlier this week. “It has taken into account the S.D. State Fair and also the scheduling for Splash Central.”
However, a committee made up of school administrators and teachers from all levels, parents and city staff, have worked on a calendar that still recognizes the presence of the State Fair, allows students who work at Splash Central to honor their work commitments and aligns the school district with other school districts when it it comes to the state’s spring Smarter Balance Assessment tests.
The calendar, which will receive a first reading at the Jan. 22 school board meeting, addresses numerous small issues created by the original calendar.
After brief discussion at the Jan. 8 meeting, the calendar will be back for more in-depth discussion at Monday’s meeting. It includes a school start date of Aug. 20, followed by five days - plus Labor Day - off for the fair.
Starting earlier checks a couple of boxes. Nebelsick said studies have shown that participation in middle school activities increases when school starts, although actual practice begins prior to the start of classes.

“In addition, our assessment tests are done in late March or early April each year,” Nebelsick said. “With our school year starting two weeks late, that means our students have two weeks less classroom time before those statewide assessment tests are taken.”
Another issue - while not completely addressed - is when the first semester would come to an end. Most schools see their first semester end as the Christmas break begins. With the current calendar, Huron’s semester ends in mid-January, making it difficult for students wishing to transfer into or, particularly, out of the district.
“Semester tests are affected as well, under the current schedule,” Nebelsick noted. “Right now, students leave for the holiday break, and need to get prepared for semester tests almost immediately upon the return to school.”
Graduation would move to May 19, away from the Memorial Day holiday weekend where it has resided for many years.
The calendar being considered doesn’t fix all of the semester issues. In fact, it allows only one week of prep for tests upon return.
The calendar is the same one that was part of the school board packet for the Jan. 8 meeting, and the board wishes to get public input on that calendar.
But it is not the only option.
The calendar committee has backups as well. One backup is the status quo - school would begin after Labor Day - and continue as it has for several years. Graduation would move back to the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend.
The other backup has the Aug. 20 start date, but instead of taking a full week off for the fair, school would be out only on the Thursday and Friday of the Fair, as well as Labor Day. That calendar closes the first semester at the Christmas break. Graduation would take place May 19.
“What all of the different possibilities have in common is that each provides for 174 student contact days - days when students are in classrooms with teachers,” Nebelsick said. Also included are a pair of days set for parent/teacher conferences, four teacher in-service days and a half-day for teacher check-out, which together satisfies the 180.5 total teacher days required by contract.
All three calendars will be available for examination, as part of the school board packet for the Jan. 22 meeting. Go to http://huron.k12.sd.us, under the “District” header and find the Jan. 22 school board agenda and board packet.
The school board meets at 5:30 p.m., on the second floor of Huron Arena, on the west side in the Instructional Planning Center. Meetings are broadcast live online via a link from the website and are available throughout the week on the Tiger Network on cable television.
Doors on the west side of Huron Arena are open for public wishing to attend school board meetings.
People wishing to weigh in on the academic calendar are encouraged to contact a school board member, email Nebelsick (terry.nebelsick@k12.sd.us), or attend Monday’s meeting.