By Kathryn Schiliro
Managing Editor

Waiting on the already delayed 2010-2011 school year calendar? Get ready to wait a bit longer.
The Morgan County Board of Education doesn’t plan on setting the highly anticipated calendar until the Georgia legislature reconvenes after the first of the year, as decisions at that level may affect the number of student days, Superintendent Dr. Stan DeJarnett said at Monday night’s meeting.

“We typically set it [the calendar] much further in advance,” DeJarnett said. “There’s been a lot of discussion at the state level about what calendars are going to look like next year because of the budget.”

Granted permission by the state legislature this year – provided students spend the same amount of time in school – school systems statewide have already set their calendars at less than the typical 180-day school year. Fulton County has plans to save $1.1 million by going to 177 school days for the next two school years, but will keep students in school for an extra 10 minutes a day, according to an Oct. 20 Atlanta Journal-Constitution article (ajc.com); additionally, the Murray County School System is currently practicing a 160-day school year, and Peach County students attend school only four days a week.

DeJarnett told the board he believes that the budget, which will affect the amount of funding for education in the state, will be addressed early in the legislative session. In fact, DeJarnett said, the legislature may cut student days themselves, rather than leave it up to local school systems.

“Rather than set the calendar and have people plan, let’s let the legislature meet in January,” DeJarnett said. “I realize it does inconvenience some families who want to plan for next year…The state revenue situation is getting worse and worse and worse and might have some impact on the number of student days.”