Around this time each year, the Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation begins the process of developing a master calendar for the upcoming school year. A question that arises almost annually pertains to the consideration of a non-traditional school calendar.

The response has been that if students, parents and staff express a strong desire to explore a non-traditional school calendar, the administration will be glad to put forth the considerable time and effort involved in exploring the various options for a non-traditional school calendar.

This year, in order to determine how TVSC students, parents/guardians and staff feel about exploring a non-traditional school calendar for the upcoming school year, students in grades 6-12, parents/guardians and staff were given the opportunity to respond to a single survey question. Each survey participant was asked to respond YES or NO to the following question:  “Do you feel the school corporation should explore a non-traditional school calendar?”

The survey results found that the majority of the 334 parents/guardians of TVSC students that participated oppose exploring a non-traditional school calendar by a two to one ratio (66 percent to 34 percent). Sixty-one percent of the 166 TVSC staff members that responded preferred to explore a non-traditional school calendar while 39 percent did not.

The responses from 824 students in grades 6-12 showed 47 percent in favor of and 53 percent opposed to exploring a non-traditional school calendar. Overall, of the 1,324 total responses to the survey, 45 percent were in favor of exploring a non-traditional school calendar while 55 percent were not.

The results of the survey do not reflect an overall strong desire by TVSC students, parents/guardians, and staff to explore a non-traditional school calendar for the upcoming school year. Thus, as TVS works toward the development of a 2014-2015 master calendar, the focus will be on creating a traditional school calendar.

The Tippecanoe Valley School Corporation thanks the survey participants and those who assisted with its administration.