Students and staff of the Plymouth Schools will start the 2020-2021 school year a week later than the previous year. Teachers will begin on August 11 and students will start on Wednesday, August 12. Superintendent Andy Hartley said the date was adjusted after receiving feedback from teachers and students. He said, “There was a desire to start school a week later than what we have been. This helps in filling some last minute staffing that we’ve experienced and that many districts are experiencing at the start of the school so that would give us another week to fill them if we have them.”
Additionally, winter break will start mid-week to allow the first semester to end prior to the break.
The comments were made at the January board meeting on Tuesday, January 7th.
Hartley said they have built snow days into the calendar to allow for adverse weather conditions; however, they will continue to use eLearning days.
Administrators are still in discussion as to what day of the week they will designate late start day next school year.
The board also held a public hearing concerning the superintendent’s contract. The contract will be considered at the February 4 board meeting. There was only one question from the audience asking for clarification of health insurance benefits.
Hartley announced that the Cultivate organization that has been supplying backpacks of food for students to have over weekends. They have offered to double the number from 50 to 100 backpacks that they will provide. Cultivate uses food rescued by gathering food that would otherwise go to waste from restaurants, grocery stores, or dining facilities. Volunteers package the food into frozen meals.
Carol Anders Correspondent
