EV School District Features Mid-Winter Break Next February

Thu., June 10, 1999

By Marny Lombard marnyl@spokesman.com (509) 927-2166

Before families jump into summer vacation, someone might want to turn the calendar to the end of summer.

The start of school, in particular.

Normally, all three Valley school districts run on a more or less synchronized calendar.

Not this year.

West Valley schools will start on Aug. 31; East Valley schools open Sept. 1; and Central Valley starts on Sept. 8. Labor Day this year is Sept. 6.

Another difference in Valley school schedules pops up next February.

Usually, the January-March block is the longest uninterrupted stretch of school.

But East Valley School District has scheduled a four-day mid-winter break, Feb. 22-25. Combined with President’s Day on Feb. 21, that means East Valley students will have a week’s vacation in the middle of winter.

East Valley surveyed teachers and parents earlier this year, said spokeswoman Judi Christianson. While not an overwhelming response, more people wanted to try a February break. The school board decided to give it a one-year trial.

Here are the dates school will finish in the spring of 2000. West Valley kids will get done June 8. Central Valley students will be done June 14; and East Valley students will finish up June 15.

One other school calendar applies to some Valley families. That’s the Continuous Curriculum School operated by the East Valley School District. CCS uses a modified year-round calendar. School starts Aug. 25; the final day of the 1999-2000 school year will be June 30. This year, CCS runs through July 16.

In addition to regular Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks, the calendar also includes two weeks off in October, two weeks off in February, a two-week spring break starting the last week in March and a week and a half off in May.

CCS is expected to have an enrollment of about 200 students next year.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.