T-R PHOTO BY ADAM SODDERS - The 2019-2020 Marshalltown Schools calendar will have a full-week spring break and is set to run Aug. 26, 2019 to June 4, 2020 after approval at MondayÕs school board meeting.

The Marshalltown School Board approved the 2019-2020 school year calendar after a public hearing on the matter Monday evening.

The calendar has been a topic of discussion, and a full-week spring break March 9-13, 2020 played a big role in the pre-approval talk in past meetings.

“I do believe it’s in our students’ best interest to be aligned to MCC (Marshalltown Community College),” said Superintendent Theron Schutte of next year’s spring break.

During a public hearing on the calendar prior to approval, Marshalltown High School English teacher Jocelyn Frohwein said she would like to see a situation where the district, Marshalltown Community College and the three state regent universities were aligned with spring break.

She said it would help families with children who go to different institutions plan time together in the spring.

District Director of Communications Andrew Potter presented a survey of district staff and parents regarding the calendar proposal at the Dec. 3 school board meeting. Respondents were split over the full school week of spring break. Potter said opponents of the break would have liked to see some days taken off the end of the school year in early June instead.

Another point of contention for some was the lack of built-in make-up days in case of inclement weather. Instead, those potential extra days were put after the scheduled last day of school on June 4.

One area that saw a lot of positive feedback was the calendar’s two-week winter break from Dec. 23, 2019 to Jan. 3, 2020.

There are also set to be 14 designated professional development days for staff in the 2019-20 school year.

Important dates

Aug. 26, 2019 – First day of school.

Oct. 4, 2019 – Fall conferences

Nov. 28-29, 2019 – Thanksgiving break

Dec. 23, 2019 to Jan. 3, 2020 – Winter break

March. 6, 2020 – Spring conferences

March 9-13, 2020 – Spring break

May 31, 2020 – MHS graduation

June 4, 2020 – Last day of school