Inter-Lakes school calendar tabled

A majority of the Inter-Lakes School Board voted last week to table consideration of the proposed calendar for the 2006-2007 school year because it is out-of-sync with the Laconia School District and, therefore, with the Huot Technical Center. The 5-2 vote came after Superintendent Phillip McCormack called attention to the fact the Huot Center will be, as usual, open on six days next year that Inter-Lakes will not be holding classes.

McCormack added that six days really equates to 12 days of lost class time because, correspondently, Inter-Lakes will be holding classes on six days the Huot Center will be closed. Both districts have planned for a 180-day school year.

The regional vocational education center is located on the campus of Laconia High School and about 50 Inter-Lakes students attend some classes at the Huot Center or at Winnisquam Regional High School in Tilton, where an agricultural program is offered.

Board member Howard Cunningham called it "unconscionable" from both fiscal and educational standpoint that Inter-Lakes would be both paying Laconia tuition for 12-days of class time it did not use and, at the same time, denying its own students the benefit of those same days in technical classes. "Can't we wait?," Cunningham asked in pleading for time to see if the Inter-Lakes schedule could be changed.

"Maybe a month," was the response that came from McCormack, explaining that he is already fielding calls from parents and staff members asking questions about the calendar that not only dictates the start and end of the school year, but specifies holidays, teacher workshop days and early release days.

McCormack went on to explain the calendar would not be a quick and easy fix because it is partially controlled by the collective bargaining agreement between the school district and the Inter-Lakes Education Association. After the meeting, the school board met in a brief non-public session to discuss its strategy for raising the issue with leaders of the union.

It was generally agreed changing the calendar would require a new, sidebar, agreement to the school-union contract, which does not expire until June 30, 2008.

In introducing the subject, McCormack said it has not been unusual for the four Lakes Region school districts that feed students into the regional technical center to be somewhat out-of-sync with Laconia's schedule, but that Inter-Lakes is the "most out of compliance".

Part of the reason for the conflict in schedule is that Laconia holds two days of classes before Labor Day and Inter-Lakes traditionally waits to start classes after the holiday. The two districts also fail to line-up on one of the two teacher workshop days that are scheduled during the school year, and on any of the four early release days each district schedules. Laconia, for example has an early release day scheduled for October 18 and Inter-Lakes for the very next day, October 19.

The two school districts match-up perfectly when it comes to scheduling holidays and vacation time.

Cunningham, John Carty, Richard Hanson, Carl Johnson and Julian Shlager voted to postpone consideration of the 2006-2007 school calendar. Chairman Paula Adriance and Diane Drenkhahn were in favor of adopting it as presented.