The Prince Albert Catholic Division board of education gave approval to the 2024-25 school year calendar at their regular meeting on Monday.
The calendar is tentative until the Ministry of Education gives final approval.
Education director Lorel Trumier said they were trying to get the information out to families earlier so they can begin planning.
“That’s our goal and we hope to hear from the Ministry once we’ve submitted it here,” she said. “We hope to hear from them soon. We’re not anticipating any changes because we have checked the boxes in terms of the compliance elements of 950 hours of instruction, as an example, and we hope to get that approval quickly.”
In the draft, school will begin on Tuesday, Sept. 2 next school year because of where Labour Day has landed this calendar year, with teachers having assigned teacher time on Aug. 25, 27, 28, 29 and 30. The teacher convention is scheduled for March 14, 2024. Elementary Student Parent Conferences are on Oct. 21-24, 2024, and Feb. 2-6, 2025. High School conferences are on Nov. 20 and April 30.
Christmas break will be from Monday, Dec. 23 until Jan. 3.
The February break is from Feb.17 to 21 and there is an Easter break from April 18 until April 25. The last day of classes will be on June 26 of 2023.
The calendar is expected to be approved by the province by May at the latest. The calendar includes 315 minutes of instruction per day and 950 hours of instruction per school year as directed in the Education Act.
School will begin after Labour Day next school year, with Labour Day landing on Sept. 2.
“It’s only by ministerial order that we would be able to start earlier,” Trumier said.
According to the Education act, any year when the statutory holiday occurs on Sept. 5 or later, the education minister can choose to start school during the previous week before the holiday.
The legislation to start school after Labour Day was introduced in 2011.
michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
