A scheduling change for Henry County Schools means students will get some extra time off before going back after Christmas break, while teachers get some needed extra time without students to prepare for the next semester.

The Board of Education voted at its December 14 regular meeting to approve an amended calendar for the 2020-2021 school year that has students returning to class Monday, January 11, instead of during the previous week as originally scheduled. The updated calendar now has January 6-8 as teacher workdays, and there are additional teacher workdays set for January 29, February 12, March 12 and April 23.

Officials called these adjustments “a reflection of the desire of the school board, acknowledging complexity of the work and the demands on teachers to effectively plan for students.”

After hearing from teachers regarding the need for additional planning time to adequately prepare for the complexities of teaching in a hybrid environment, board members supported the move to push back the return from the break for students to allow teachers more time to prepare.

“Our teachers have done an amazing job during this school year,” said district superintendent Mary Elizabeth Davis. “Starting with delaying the beginning of a regular school year just weeks before the original start date and moving all learning to remote, the educators in our school district have adapted to more changes than are common in order to meet the evolving needs of teaching during a pandemic.”

The updated calendar will still meet all state requirements regarding the amount of classroom time required for students, and it does not otherwise impact any dates outside of those already mentioned.

The 2020-2021 school year is still scheduled to conclude May 26, and graduation ceremonies have already been approved by the school board for May 19-28 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

“We are on track to continue providing quality instruction to all students in the second semester just like the first semester,” stated Davis.  “Each and every student in our system is being provided with an education that fits their needs, including that of a safe and healthy learning environment.  We are glad to be able to provide both on-campus and remote learning for our students and their families.”

In other business, the board voted to tear up Davis’ contract which was approved a year ago and give her a new three-year deal. The previous contract, also for a three-year term, was approved in December of 2019. The new one went into effect December 15.

The superintendent’s salary remains at $300,000 per year. She was initially hired in the fall of 2017 at $213,000 per year, but last year’s extension boosted that number to the current amount.

Davis is the highest-paid public employee in the county. If she is still in the position at the end of 2021, she will have served longer than any of her three immediate predecessors.