Syracuse (WSYR-TV) – The first day of school has yet to arrive, but many school districts in Central New York have already discovered that they will have a significant problem with the spring break schedule in April 2012.
It appears districts in the area have already found out that they will be forced to move the dates of the break because they conflict with statewide ELA testing.
Some superintendents are irked that they only recently discovered the issue. In some districts, school calendars have been set for several months, with the understanding that the state's ELA exams would fall in May.
"We're set…everybody knows what we're doing and then this curve ball comes in from left field," said Liverpool Schools Superintendent Richard Johns.
Friday afternoon, the schools were informed that the tests would be held the week of April 16 through April 20 – the same week most of the schools in Central New York had planned spring break. It does not appear that the state will make any exceptions, which leaves districts with one choice – move spring break.
"Anybody who had plans for next April is going to have to make adjustments to those plans, which I just find that to be ridiculous," said West Genesee Superintendent Chris Brown.
The state says it needed to move up the tests from May to April to ensure data from the tests is back by the time it's needed. The information will be used near the end of the school year in the new teacher evaluation guidelines, which were developed in order to secure $700 million in Federal Race-to-the-Top Funding.
"I suspect we'll go ahead and change our break, said Johns. "I can't imagine they're going to give up all those dollars from the Federal government to defiantly thumb their noses at Albany."
Both anticipate that some families with already-planned vacations will still go and skip the test. But they say keeping the break in place is not an option.
"We'd be on every negative testing list that could possibly exist, which isn't good for your community or your kids and they've kind of forced our hand," said Brown.
The tests are for students from third to eighth grades, but the districts can't keep the break for some families and change it for others.
