Memorial Day Holiday
Post date: Jun 17, 2015 2:23:16 PM
Historically, Yancey County students have been in school on Memorial Day. For decades YCS has implemented the Memorial Day holiday during the week of “Spring Break,” to help students and staff benefit from a full week off in the spring.
Recent questions from the public have been asked about observing Memorial Day as we do for other days in the school calendar such as Veterans Day and Martin Luther King Day. Superintendent Dr. Tony Tipton and the School Board have heard from various groups and parents regarding this topic. In response, the Board has instructed Superintendent Tipton to observe the Memorial Day Holiday on the designated day.
“In the past, Memorial Day has typically fallen within the last two weeks of school which is testing season, making it very difficult to be out of school,” said Superintendent Tipton. “However, a couple of years ago when the state mandated that we begin school two weeks later than we have in the past, it forced us to extend the school year deeper into June and it has made the Memorial Day Holiday a topic of discussion.”
It is the goal of YCS to maintain a balance in what we’ve heard from parents in protecting the week of Spring Break as well as now observing Memorial Day. During the winter months, the school calendar changes often. The current 2015-16 school calendar shows the last day of school as May 23rd. However, this date will certainly change if we have a typical mountain winter and the last day of school is pushed past the Memorial Day holiday.
School Board Vice-Chair Bill Whiteside stated, "With thoughtful and insightful deliberations with the YCS leadership team, local veterans and parents, I am happy that we are able to close our schools for the Memorial Holiday as well as preserve Spring Break for family vacations. We thought it was important not to have school on this patriotic holiday that is preserved for the honor and memory of our fallen military personnel."