<div>After receiving feedback from parents, students, educators and the community, the Warren County Board of Education voted for Warren County Middle School to follow the secondary, or high school, calendar for the 2024-25 school year. The decision came during the board’s May 14 regular meeting.Information presented during the meeting indicated that Warren County Schools released original draft elementary and secondary calendars on April 10 and received 256 feedback entries online by April 24. On April 25, the school system released revised school calendar drafts with a new feedback form which included the question of whether Warren County Middle School should follow the elementary or secondary, or high school, calendar for the upcoming school year. Since that time, the school system received 73 more online feedback entries.Heather Mallard, Warren County Schools’ chief Communication and Engagement officer, reported that 26 people, or 43 percent of those providing feedback, preferred that WCMS continue to follow the elementary calendar as it has done in the past. Thirty-five people, or 57 percent of respondents, preferred for the middle school to follow the secondary, or high school calendar.Debra Clayton, the school system director of Testing and Accountability, Curriculum and Instruction, told the board that the calendar which WCMS follows has an impact on transportation because Warren County Middle School students ride the same buses as high school students. She noted the following:• When the middle school is on a different schedule than the high schools, buses have to run twice as many routes, which doubles transportation costs for those days (fuel and salaries).• The transportation department estimates the school system would save between $20,000-$30,000 a year if it keeps the middle school and the high schools on the same calendar.Clayton said that after hearing feedback, the school system recommended placing Warren County Middle School on the secondary calendar for the upcoming school year.Superintendent Keith Sutton added that moving to the secondary calendar would not affect the length of summer vacation for WCMS; it would just begin earlier than it had on the elementary calendar.Mallard told the board of education that calendar survey respondents also provided other feedback. She noted that many people said that March is too early for Spring Break, and some people wanted a year-round calendar.Clayton said that March 10-14 is designated as Spring Break on both the elementary and secondary calendars. However, she said that students and staff have a “mini-break” in April, beginning with a Wellness Day on April 17, which includes a half day of professional development for staff. Clayton indicated that taking into consideration that Thursday, Good Friday, Saturday, Easter, and Easter Monday, staff receive a break of 4 1/2 days, and students have a five-day break.The proposed 2024-25 calendars, including the recommendation to place Warren County Middle School on the secondary calendar, passed by a 3-1 vote. Board members Victoria Lehman, Ebony Talley-Brame and Joyce Long voted in favor, while board member Jennifer Sims voted against. Before the vote, Talley-Brame said that she would support the school system recommendation to move WCMS to the secondary calendar because that is what the majority of survey respondents wanted.The calendars approved by the board include the following features:Elementary calendarMariam Boyd, Northside and Vaughan elementary schools will follow the elementary calendar for 2024-25.School will begin on Aug. 26 and end on June 9. Quarters will end on Oct. 28, Jan. 17, April 3 and June 9. Progress reports will go out on Sept. 16, Oct. 7, Nov. 19, Dec. 13, Feb. 11, March 6, April 29 and May 20. Reports cards will go out on Jan. 24.The Christmas Holiday and Winter Break will run from Dec. 23-Jan. 3 with students returning on Jan. 6.End-of-Grade testing will be May 27-30 and June 2-6 and 9.Secondary calendarWarren County Middle School, Warren County High School and Warren Early College High School will follow the secondary calendar for 2024-25.School will begin on Aug. 12 and end on May 23. Quarters will end on Oct. 15, Dec. 20, March 18 and May 23. Progress reports will go out on Aug. 30, Sept. 23, Nov. 6, Dec. 2, Jan. 27, Feb. 18, April 10 and May 5. Report cards will go out Oct. 24, Jan. 15 and March 27.The Christmas Holiday and Winter Break will run from Dec. 23-Jan. 3 with students returning on Jan. 6.Warren County High School testing (End-of-Course and Career and Technical Education) will be Dec. 16-20. At the end of the year, Warren Early College High School End-of-Course testing will be May 12-23, and Warren County High School testing (EOC and CTE) will be May 19-23.The draft calendars that were included within the board’s agenda for last week’s meeting were prepared prior to the board’s decision to move WCMS to the secondary, or high school, calendar. Warren County Schools will include updated calendars on its website, www.warrenk12nc.org.</div>

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Warren County Middle School to follow high school calendar in 2024-25

After receiving feedback from parents, students, educators and the community, the Warren County Board of Education voted for Warren County Middle School to follow the secondary, or high school, calendar for the 2024-25 school year. The decision came during the board’s May 14 regular meeting. Information presented during the...

Warren County Middle School to follow high school calendar in 2024-25

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