Dec 14, 2015 By Harry Funk 3 min read

Mt. Lebanon School District’s calendar for 2016-17 will wait for a January vote, despite being on the agenda for the school board’s Dec. 14 meeting.

After a discussion primarily addressing the start of the academic year and the number of days allotted for spring break, the board requested that administrators come up with an alternative to what assistant superintendents Ronald Davis and Marybeth Irvin presented Monday.

The draft of the calendar, compiled with input from a variety of sources, listed Aug. 23 as the first day of school for students, marking the earliest it would have been in at least two decades. Also proposed were three days off for students near Easter, on the Thursday and Friday before and Monday after.

Board members generally favored extending the break to four days, to include Wednesday, while perhaps beginning the school year as late as Aug. 29 instead of the suggested date.

“That was a decision based on what we believe is educational productivity,” Irvin told the board, explaining that teachers recommended the earlier start. “They believe students are more productive in the August warmth as opposed to the June warmth. Their level of excitement, interest and enthusiasm for the new school year heightens their tolerance.”

Nine out of 10 of the district’s academic buildings have no air conditioning. Temperatures during the past five years have averaged 4.88 degrees higher in late August than in early to mid-June, according to Irvin.

School board members expressed concern about the effect on vacations and other summer plans should school begin Aug. 23.

“I think this starting date is going to be a little bit of surprise to families,” Elaine Cappucci said.

Regarding spring break, board members have received comments from parents who consider the time off for students to be either too short or too long, depending on the source. Some families like to travel, while others have child-care considerations.

“Anything we decide is not going to be right by someone’s parameters,” board member Mary Birks said.

In other business Dec. 14:

• The board approved posting a preliminary 2016-17 budget on the district’s website, even though many financial considerations still are unknown, including state reimbursement.

As of Monday, the state Legislature still had not adopted a 2015-16 budget, even though the prior fiscal year ended June 30.

School administrators are preparing the preliminary budget at this point so that the district would be able to apply for exceptions to the index by which it is allowed to raise property taxes under state Act 1 of 2006.

The board plans to vote on the preliminary budget in January.

• In an update on the high school renovation project, Tom Berkebile of construction management firm P.J. Dick Inc. told the board that demolition of the “C” building should be completed when students return from winter break.

Also, reconstruction is progressing on the façade of the “B” building where it once joined the demolished “A” building. The board approved spending an extra $14,168, the cost of a change order for Nello Construction Co. to expand its work on the façade for consistency in appearance.

“It will make it a more complete building,” Berkebile said. “I think it will look a lot better.”