In November of each year a school calendar committee shall be appointed consisting of no more than twelve (12) members. By November 15 the Superintendent shall appoint up to nine (9) members, of whom at least six (6) shall be parents from within the District, and the Association President shall appoint three (3) members. Parental appointees will include not fewer than two (2) persons with children at the elementary level, two (2) persons with children at the middle school level, and two (2) persons with children at the high school level. The committee shall study and make recommendations regarding the school calendar. In preparing the calendar recommendation, the committee shall provide an opportunity for members of the classified staff, parents and students to offer suggestions before recommending a calendar to the Superintendent. All decisions of the committee shall be arrived at by consensus. On or before January 31 the calendar committee shall submit its recommendations to the Superintendent. The committee may recommend calendars for more than one (1) year. In that event, the committee need not meet in the years covered by the multiyear calendar.

Any school calendar shall include no more than 186 days. The final authority to set or amend the school calendar legally is the responsibility of the Board of Education which may shorten the calendar if school(s) are closed for weather, calamity, energy conservation, or for other reasons in keeping with any applicable law.

The school calendar also shall provide for the following days as non-school days during which neither professional staff nor students are in attendance:

It is mutually understood and agreed that, if a student transitional day is scheduled in a particular school, it will occur within the student instructional year and must be approved by the Administration and Association.

On Convocation Day all classroom teachers shall be scheduled time to prepare classrooms beginning immediately after the time period allocated for lunch and continuing through the remainder of the contractual day.

In addition, the Board will compensate each half-time kindergarten teacher and each elementary classroom teacher regularly scheduled more than half-time for no more than a total of two (2) days (or four (4) half-days) to prepare the teacher’s classroom for students prior to the beginning of the contractual year and no more than a total of one (1) day (or two (2) half-days) to close down classrooms after the end of the contractual year. An elementary teacher regularly scheduled half-time or less will be compensated for no more than a total of one (1) day (or two (2) half-days) for such purpose.

Participation by the teacher is voluntary and will be paid at the daily rate (or half such rate where a half-day is involved) applicable to a teacher place date at Step 0 of the B.A. column of the salary schedule. These days may be scheduled at the discretion of the teacher, but in no event earlier than five (5) weekdays prior to the teacher’s first regularly scheduled work-day or five (5) weekdays after the teacher’s last regularly scheduled workday. A teacher who voluntarily participates in such days is required to certify the days (or half-days) worked on the appropriate form.

In addition, the Board will compensate each middle and high school teacher for no more than a total of one (1) day (or two (2) half-days) to plan, prepare school programs, set up classrooms prior to the beginning of the contractual year or close down classrooms after the end of the contractual year. Participation by the teacher is voluntary and will be paid at the daily rate (or half such rate where a half-day is involved) applicable to a teacher placed at Step 0 of the B.A. column of the salary schedule. This day may be scheduled at the discretion of the teacher, but in no event earlier than five (5) weekdays prior to the teacher’s first regularly scheduled workday for set-up of classrooms or five (5) days after the school year ends for closing down classrooms. A teacher who voluntarily participates in such day is required to certify the day (or half-days) worked on the appropriate form.

In no event will an itinerant teacher whose regular schedule includes both elementary and middle or high school duties be entitled to more than three (3) days, or up to six (6) half-days.