UPDATE: School district considers new 2015-2016 calendar

Parents and students didn't want an earlier start date going into the 2015-2016 school year, according to the range of responses Manatee County School District officials fielded this week.

The School Board tentatively approved a calendar for the upcoming school year that reflected an Aug. 10 start date and May 25 end date, which would have had its advantages despite an eight-day-earlier start than the previous school year. Students would have had Good Friday off as part of their Spring Break, and two extra weeks of instruction before taking their first round of Florida State Assessments.

But, the district announced April 17, that it is considering another calendar draft, which shows students returning to school Aug. 24 and finishing June 9.

Although students would start later than the other calendar model, students would take exams after Winter Break, in January, as opposed to finishing the tests before starting the break in December, a press release said.

The School Board will approve a calendar at its next meeting, April 28.

Contact Amanda Sebastiano at [email protected].