Unusual Start Date for High Schools in 2013

The West Morris Regional Board of Education approved its 2013-14 school calendar this week, which includes an unorthodox start date and lengthy winter recess.

The Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah falls on Thursday, Sept. 5 in 2013, closing the high schools. The two days prior–Sept. 3 and 4–will be used for professional development days for faculty and staff, according to Superintendent Mackey Pendergrast.

This leads the district to start its school year on Friday, Sept. 6 for a one-day school week.

Winter recess begins with Friday, Dec. 20 being a half-day, and students not returning to class until Thursday, Jan. 2–a 12-day break including weekends.

The calendar notes four snow days are being allocated to the school year, and if additional snow days are needed, they will be taken from Spring Break, starting with the first day of that week and working forward.

Spring Break for the 2013-14 year is scheduled for April 14 to April 18.

National holidays for Martin Luther King, Jr. observance and Presidents’ Day observance are currently scheduled as off days. In the current school year, both those holidays were used for make up time as well as an extension to the end of the school year.

West Morris Central lost eight school days and while Mendham High School lost six due to Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath in October and November of 2012, forcing the use of previously scheduled off days.

Graduation is currently scheduled for Friday, June 20 in both high schools.