By MOLLY DAVIDSON / Staff Writer

HOOVER—Hoover City Schools parents can get a jump on planning for the 2016-2017 school year, as a draft of the calendar was presented to the Hoover Board of Education during a Dec. 14 meeting. The proposed calendar will be posted on the school system’s website in the coming days.

The proposed calendar outlines 180 instructional days for students and 188 work days for teachers, including four professional development days and four work days. Vacations and days off for students are evenly spaced throughout the calendar, budgeting for at least one break per month.

“Kids are tired, they’re weary, they need a break,” Hoover City Schools Assistant Superintendent Melody Greene said, noting student performance suffers during extended periods instruction without a break. “We try to build in something every month.”

The calendar budgets a full week off for Thanksgiving rather than holding classes for half of the week.

“Our teachers are out, our students are out and those days are just not productive,” Greene said.

Spring break is proposed for the fourth week of March.

“Our community is more closely aligned with the practices of Shelby County (Schools),” Greene said, noting several neighboring school systems hold spring break during the third week in March.

The proposed calendar was one of two calendars presented to HCS employees for a vote. Employees “overwhelmingly” favored the proposed calendar, Greene said.

The calendar has been given to the Board of Education for review and consideration. The school system also requested feedback from the community about the proposed calendar, which will be posted to Hoovercityschools.net.

Feedback will be considered before a final draft of the calendar is submitted to the Board of Education for approval, Greene said.

“We’ve gotten some good feedback from parents,” Greene said. “I really look forward to what they have to say.”

Planning for the 2017-2018 academic year is also underway and calendar drafts are in the works, Greene said.

“We’re looking ahead and coming up with some calendars for discussion,” Greene said.