The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Board of Education has reversed course on starting the school year early.
For the past two years, the district has opted for a modified calendar with an early start date, allowing students to finish their first semester before leaving for winter break.
That made it a popular option for students and staff, but it was out of compliance with state law.
At a school board meeting, Superintendent Don Phipps said he believed the early start calendar was the better option, but didn’t encourage the board to vote for it.
“I could never give this board advice to violate state law," Phipps said. "What we need is the General Assembly to allow local boards of education calendar flexibility to choose their starting and ending dates, and we could solve the problem.”
Officials presented district survey data showing that more than 3,000 respondents preferred the early start, compared to about 250 who didn’t.
Still, the board voted 5-4 to approve the traditional calendar with the first day of school on Aug. 24.
