After discussing polls and getting input from teachers and administrators, the board of education has opted for a school calendar in 2019 that will differ somewhat from this year’s plan in the area of fall break.

Most obvious in the adoption is that the two-week fall break students will enjoy this year will be replaced in 2019 by two separate week-long breaks. Specifically, instead of a two-week fall break, students in 2019 will get one week for fall break next year and then a full week off for Thanksgiving break in November.

Prior to the move by the board of education, the school had taken a two-week fall break and had been off for just three days for Thanksgiving. The board voted 5-2 for the new plan, splitting up the week-long holidays with Wayne Johnson and Jim Beshearse the only dissenters to the plan.

Beshearse said he voted against splitting up the time off because school staff and teachers had voted in a poll that they preferred the two-week fall break over two separate breaks in October and November. The poll numbers showed 62 percent of those responding wanted to stay with the two-week fall break.

Some members of the board argued during workshop talks prior to the board vote that two weeks off had a negative impact on students because they were away from their studies for such a long time. In contrast, others debated that having to start and stop the educational process for two separate weeks off was difficult for students and educators.