Rockdale school board members got a peek at two proposed school calendars for the 2013-2014 school year at Thursday’s Board of Education work session.

One option would start the school year for students on July 29 and end for students on May 23, before Memorial Day. In that option, the December break would start Dec. 20 and spring break would start on March 30.

A second option would start the school year in August for students, on Aug. 1, and end it May 29, three days after Memorial Day. In that option, the December break would start Dec. 23 and spring break would start April 7.

Both calendars have 180 student days and 190 teacher days, five pre-planning days, two post planning days, and three professional learning days.

Rockdale County Public Schools Chief Academic Officer Leslie Demarco said some of the main discussion points for calendar committee members was ending school for students before Memorial Day and the placement of spring break.

“I think that is really the issue that turns it,” said Dearco. “In order to have adequate time for review after the CRCT in April, if we end school on May 23, then we will have to begin our spring break on March 31. People have different feelings about that. That will not be in line with the other school districts’ spring breaks.”

Parents, teachers, students, staff and other stakeholders will be able to give their input on the two calendar options in an online survey that will be put up in January.

Using information from that survey as one factor, the committee will make their recommendations to the school board.

Last year, there were only 216 survey responses to the proposed calendar. Out of that, 98 were parents, 3 students, 73 teachers, and 40 RCPS non-teaching employees. RCPS has about 15,700 students enrolled.

Demarco said if there were budget cuts and the school system needed to cut calendar days, they would first look at the 10 teacher planning days and professional learning days before cutting into the 180 student days.