At its regular meeting on Jan. 30, the Monticello Central School District Board of Education adopted the 2020-21 school year calendar. Due to the Classroom 2020 construction that will be in progress over the summer months, the first day of school for most students will be held on Monday, Sept. 14. BOCES students (CTE and special education) will begin on Wednesday, Sept. 9. Transportation information concerning BOCES students will be shared as the first day approaches.
Task 2 of the Classroom 2020 project is scheduled to begin on the first day of the summer break, and includes a gut renovation to the high school’s science and 200 wing, and the construction of a new transportation center. Task 1, which repaired the roofs of all elementary schools and the middle school, began in August of 2019 and is expected to be fully completed by the spring of 2020.
“These are extensive projects,” Interim Superintendent of Schools Dr. William Silver said. “Our goal is that this construction has a minimal impact on student instruction and as such, we want to ensure that the preliminary work, such as abatement and demolition, is completed before students return.”
The 2020-21 schedule includes the 180 school days required by New York State law (176 days of student instruction and up to 4 teacher conference days), plus 8 scheduled emergency days. Because the delayed start of the school year limits the number of available days on which to schedule school before the end of June, the day before Thanksgiving (Nov. 25) will now be a half-day for students and the last half-day of school for students will be on Friday, June 25.
“I recognize that some of our families will feel inconvenienced by these changes, however, this project is going to have a tremendously positive impact on our community for decades,” Dr. Silver said. “When this task is completed, not only will we have a more efficient and productive transportation center, but our current and future high school students will have a wing that includes state-of-the-art science and STEAM classrooms, air conditioning and open spaces to congregate, among many other improvements. I think most will agree that the long-term benefits far outweigh these short-term inconveniences.”