The proposed change of the spring break dates for Troy City Schools is now a reality, this after the TCS Board of Education approved the calendar for the 2010-11 academic year.

Spring break will now take place the week of April 11-15 in order to avoid conflict with standardized testing dates set for the weeks of March 21, March 28 and April 4.

“Those testing dates are something where we have no choice,”

said Linda Felton-Smith,

Superintendent of Troy City Schools

“Those come from the state, and we want students to be ready for them.”

Teacher support for the change was not unanimous, but Felton-Smith said the majority of teachers were on board.

“The calendar committee did not share with me any opposition to the calendar from the elementary school or the middle school,” Felton-Smith said. “Some of the concerns from the high school included prom and spring sports, and we are going to do what we can to make sure it does not cause problems with spring sports.”

Smith also said the new dates should help improve student focus as the end of the school year approaches.

“When it was taken in March, we had 11 weeks between the end of spring break, and the start of the new school year,” Felton-Smith said. “Teachers said it was hard to keep the students focused because the calendar was so unevenly divided. It hurt the students’ grades, so we really did look at this from every angle.”

While the change is in effect for 2010-11, that does not necessarily mean it will be in effect in future school years.

“We’re going to try it, and we’re going to keep journals to see if it helps,” Felton-Smith said.

“The thing is we cannot please everyone when it comes to a calendar.”

Felton-Smith also presented two new proposals regarding the Child Nutrition Program policy, one being a charged meal policy, and the other being a worthless check policy.

The proposed charged meal policy does not provide a line of credit, but does provide certain accommodations for an absence of funds.

The proposed worthless check policy requires the Board of Education to collect money lost due to worthless checks, and to turn names over to the district attorney if the money is not collected.

The board also approved the resignation of Charles Henderson High School softball coach Chad Lapp, effective May 28, as well as the transfer of Chresal Threadgill from his position as Middle School Principal to Administrative Assistant at Central Office, effective July 1.