The 176-day calendar was discussed at the board's work session on Monday, with the options going live on the system's website after Thursday's board meeting.
The three versions of the calendar are similar, with two key differences being the first day of school and the availability of a fall break in October.
In Option A, the first day of school would be Aug. 8, 2013, with a one-day fall break in October. Option B has school starting on Aug. 9 next year, also with a break on Oct. 14 for Columbus Day. Option C has the latest start-back date, Aug. 12, but also does not include a day off for students in October.
Another difference is that Option B has students coming back on Friday, Jan. 3, 2014, while Options A and C have them coming back after the weekend on Jan. 6.
Board member Denise Askin-Pate stressed that the public will not be "voting" on one of the three options, but will rather be giving their feedback on the pros and cons of each option.
"We just want their comments expressed, so that we can come and vote with our residents' wishes in mind," Askin-Pate said.
The board also reviewed another important calendar – the board meeting calendar for 2013.
The two options, one of which keeps the meeting schedule the same and the other which spaces out the work sessions and board meetings more, will be voted on in Thursday's board meeting.
In Option A, generally the third Mondays and Thursdays of each month are for work sessions and board meetings, respectively. In Option B, the work sessions would be held on the second Monday of each month, with the board meetings held on the following (third) Mondays.
Askin-Pate raised a concern that the new calendar might require staff in the central office to do more work, sometimes on Sundays, to prepare for the board meetings.
"We need to be efficient, and you guys have other things you need to be doing," Askin-Pate said. "You don't need to be worrying about the board meetings for three weeks every month."
Also during Monday's work session:
• Associate Superintendent Stan Davis reported to the board on the school's improved Georgia High School Writing Test scores, of which he said he is "very proud."
The system as a whole boasted a 94.7 percent pass rating, up three percentage points over 2011.
Temple High and Mt. Zion High were specially noted for their improvements, increasing their percentages by 11.8 points and 8.5 points, respectively.
"We are very proud of our schools," Superintendent Scott Cowart said. "We've made a focused effort in the past few years in all the schools to focus on writing, and that's starting to pay off."
• Assistant Superintendent of Student Services and Operations David Goldberg gave updates on several construction projects going on in the system.
The Temple High gym, he said, is having the floor put in and the interior painting done now. The gym is expected to be completed in late December or early January, with a ribbon-cutting and opening game set tentatively for Jan. 11.
As for the gym at Villa Rica High, Goldberg said the system has encountered some problems with the moisture buildup in the concrete slab, preventing the floor from being installed. Goldberg said a mid-January date is expected for the VRHS gym's completion.
Goldberg also reported on a steering committee formed to look into the possibility of adding a performing arts center to the county system's facilities.
The committee has planned a "field trip," Goldberg said, to visit the surrounding area's performing arts centers and learn more about their structures.
• The change to a policy concerning the naming of facilities was added to the consent agenda.
A subcommittee of three board members was assembled, who looked at the policy language, amending it so that a name can be placed on a building in "recognition of a person," instead of in "memory of a person."
The subcommittee was formed after the board unanimously approved the naming of the basketball court of Central High's Rayford Walker Gym "Cowart Court" after the current superintendent and former principal and head boys basketball coach of Central High.
CHS principal Dana Harmon first recommended the name to the board during a summer meeting, at which time board chairman Dr. Jon Anderson appointed the subcommittee to review the policy to ensure the language allows a facility to be named after a living person.
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