By JIM BUTLER

Start planning your year

The school schedule is here

There’s a day for the Fair

It’s all up to you

You and yours can be there

At the Fair, the Fair.

(Apologies to Frank)

– – –

It’s official.

All those impacted by the public school schedule now have a 2025-26 calendar to plan by.

The School Board’s vote at a special meeting allows a holiday Friday during the parish fair week, reducing Fall Break the following week to one day (Friday).

Classes begin on August 11 and the school year ends on May 22, 2026.

The board’s unanimous vote came after Superintendent Jeff Powell told the members that any number of parties were awaiting a calendar resolution in order to proceed with schedule for a range of activities and concerns.

Willard McCall opened the calendar discussion with a proposal to prepare four options for consideration by all concerned parties, allowing time for them to comment.

His motion was discussed after a second. Following Powell’s remarks Wilton Barrios offered a substitute to accept the Fair Day calendar option.

It passed without dissent.

Proposals to declare an emergency for damage and loss from last week’s snow and ice and authorizing cleanup and repairs, and to pay for them from the Special Reserve Fund with reimbursement by any insurance or disaster declaration payments were pulled from the agenda, without explanation.