The Gasconade R-2 Board of Education on Jan. 20 approved the 2020-21 school calendar that was presented for consideration last month.

“It is the same calendar as last month with our forgiveness days and four make-up days at the end of the year with student forgiveness days after that,” said Superintendent Dr. Chuck Garner.

The calendar is in compliance with Missouri’s new law requiring schools to start at least 14 days before Labor Day, which falls on Aug. 24 in 2020, which was designed to help support Missouri’s tourism industry.

Director Bill Seamon asked if the May 16 would be the district’s 2021 graduation date.

“It’s not set,” Garner said. “But would be the corresponding date if we chose to do it that Sunday.”

Director Molly Steinbeck asked Garner how the corresponding snow days would affect the calendar.

“If we had snow days, seniors will be graduating over a week before school is out. Will that affect us?” she asked.

Garner said it could.

“We would have to submit a different calendar for seniors and move back graduation to May 23,” he said.

She asked how the start date would affect the start date for summer school.

“Will it for sure push it into June?” she asked.

Garner said the issue of starting the year later affects summer school and weather make-up days.

“By your ability to forgive the first four and make up the next four, so it would allow us (to finish) by the week of May 25,” Garner explained. “Summer school could start June 1 instead of May 24. If we had to make up the original nine days, it would push past Memorial Day and push everything else down.”

The early January and February holidays such as Martin Luther King Day and Presidents’ Day would no longer be used as built-in make-up days under the new calendar.

The board approved the calendar for the 2020-21 school year as presented with a 7-0 vote.