School calendar finally finalized

Upon discovering an error in scheduled parent-teacher conference dates, the Unit 1 Board of Education placed approval of the 2020-2021 school calendar back on its agenda.
Having corrected the error, the board once again approved the school year calendar that sets the first day of student attendance as Tuesday, Aug. 18.
The calendar is based on 176 instructional days with the final day of classes set for Friday, May 28, 2021, pending the use of emergency days. Should the district need to use emergency days it would push the school year into the month of June.
As presented, the calendar sets the winter break to run from Wednesday, Dec. 23 to Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2021, when teachers report for an institute day. Students will return to class on Thursday, Jan. 7, 2021.
Spring break week coincides with the Easter holiday with students out of class beginning Monday, March 29, 2021 and returning Tuesday, April 6, 2021.
The calendar further sets the dates for early dismissal, teacher institute and parent/teacher conferences, as well as outlines school holidays like Labor Day, Thanksgiving and President's Day, among others.
The approved calendar is available for viewing on the district’s website.
In other matters from the March 4 meeting;
• A first reading on board policy regarding school admissions and student transfers from non-district schools was held. Two additional readings on the policy will take place before any action is taken by the board.
The matter is under review based on two inquiries to the high school principal by families seeking to host foreign exchange students in the upcoming school year.
Based on board policy foreign exchange students would be assessed a tuition fee, however in the past that has not been done. The board is reviewing the document in order to make the changes necessary to fix past practice.
• The high school’s Coalers with Character organization was granted permission to travel to Denver, CO from July 30 to Aug. 1. The trip will be financed by students with no cost to the district.
• Approval was given for the high school’s chapter of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) to attend the annual state leadership conference in Springfield on April 3 and 4.
• The board accepted an anonymous $50 donation to the lunch assistance program.
A special meeting of the board has been called for 6 p.m., Wednesday, March 18, in the district administration center for the purpose of reviewing and approving project bids.
The next regular meeting of the board is scheduled for Wednesday, April 1, at 6 p.m. The meeting will be held in the high school learning resource center and follow a 5 p.m. open house showcasing renovations made to the space. The board study session on March 25 has been canceled.