Normal Calendar for 2008-2009

No late start for Denver Public Schools next year.
by Christina Danek

    In a 5-2 vote taken the evening of January 25th, the Denver Public Schools Board of Education approved the traditional calendar running from August to May, for the 2008-2009 school year.
With the Democratic National Convention coming to Denver in late August, the Board had been debating its options for the upcoming school year.
    The convention, which will be held from August 25-28 at the Pepsi Center, should bring in nearly 35,000 guests, including some 5,000 delegates and 15,000 members of the media, according to the Democratic National Convention Committee.
    Twelve DPS elementary, middle and high schools are in the locality of where the convention will be, and concerns about the safety of school children arose. With thousands of people flocking to the convention, transportation will be difficult; should an emergency arise, it may be hard to reach the schools in danger within a reasonable amount of time. "We want to hope for the best but we have to plan for the worst," said Ed Ray, Chief of DPS security.
    DPS officials originally proposed two calendars for the ’08-’09 year. Proposal 1 maintained the traditional schedule, with schools in session from August 18th though May 28th. Classes were planned to carry on as usual during the Democratic National Convention, and special security plans would be enacted by school directors to ensure safety. First semester would end before Winter Break, and students would enjoy a fall break in October, albeit three days. As usual, first semester would be several weeks shorter than second semester, with 80 student days and 86 teacher days, in comparison to a second semester of 91.5 student days and 96 teacher days. Read more