School will start three days earlier, families will get a full two weeks at Christmas and the state fair in-service day changes to Friday in the 2012-13 calendar approved by the Hutchinson Board of Education Monday.

The Board approved the calendar devised by the district’s Calendar Committee. The first day of classes on the calendar is Aug. 15 for first through ninth grades. Sophomores through seniors begin on Aug. 16. Half the kindergartners attend a first day on Aug. 20 with the other half attending a first day on Aug. 21.

The “state fair” in-service day has been moved to the second Friday of the Kansas State Fair in 2012 – Sept. 14. The Wednesday date has caused problems for activities at the middle school. Additionally, teachers reported students often came back to school tired on the day after the Wednesday in-service.

Christmas/New Year’s recess will be a two-week block from Dec. 23, 2012, and ending Jan. 5, 2013. Spring Break will be from March 25 through April 1.

The final day for seniors in 2013 will be May 16 with the final day for all other students on May 22.

The calendar is subject to change based on state laws, funding and negotiations.

While online enrollment for 2012-13 will begin in late July, walk-in enrollment for 2012-13 will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Aug. 1 and 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Aug. 2. Pre-enrollment for the 2012-13 and at-risk 4-year-old programs will be from 4 to 7 p.m. April 3. Both the April pre-enrollment and the August walk-in enrollments with be at the Salthawk Activity Center on the Hutchinson High School campus.

The board also heard a Continuous Improvement Report from Hutchinson Magnet School at Allen. The school will be transitioning to a Science-Technology-Engineer-Mathematics magnet in 2012-13. The report also included information about the school’s use of tier time to help all students and about art education at the school, including two visual art clubs. Its showed a good improvement in student acheivements since the tier time approach was implemented.

The board also held executive sessions, totaling 35 minutes, to discuss negotiations and non-elected personnel.

Upon returning to open session, the board unanimously approved Dr. Kiblinger’s evaluation and verbally extended her three-year contract for an additional year.