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MAT-SU -- The Matanuska-Susitna Borough School Board has approved changes to the 2004-2005 school year calendar with the intent to better prepare students for state testing among other issues.

While some noted concerns about the schedule, such as the impact on seasonal worker families due to extending the school year into June, the board approved the changes, which has students starting school on Sept. 7 and ending school for students on June 9.

"This proposes we get out in June, which is way too late for seasonal workers," said parent Brenda Potter at the May 5 school board meeting.

One major change in the calendar is the week spring break will occur. Historically, state testing has been conducted in early March, with spring break following the testing by a couple of weeks. The state has shifted testing to the first week of April, which, under the former calendar schedule, would require students to take the state exams the week immediately after returning from spring break. The calendar allows a two-week buffer before state testing by switching spring break from the week of March 28 to the week of March 14.

The new calendar schedule also extends the school year for students being released on Tuesday, June 7 to Thursday, June 8. This has been adopted because of the suggestion by the Curriculum Council to adopt district-wide math programs in grades K-8. If all math programs are adopted, these programs would require three district-wide math in-service days.

The final change in the calendar is the acknowledgment that the school district has to make up three snow days for this school year, so the board has approved adding three snow day makeup days to the calendar. If the snow days are not needed, the students will be released on June 9. If all three snow days need to be made up, the last day for students will be Tuesday, June 14.

Contact Jen Ransom at jen.ransom@frontiersman.com.