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3 <br /> Orange County Schools <br /> BOARD OF EDUCATION <br /> RESOLUTION SUPPORTING LOCAL CONTROL OF SCHOOL <br /> CALENDARS <br /> WHEREAS,the North Carolina General Statutes give local boards of education powers of <br /> supervision and control of local school systems; and <br /> WHEREAS, local control over establishing school calendars is an integral component of school <br /> system supervision and administrative powers with which local boards of education have been <br /> vested; and <br /> WHEREAS, in 2004 the North Carolina General Assembly seized control of setting school calendars <br /> and imposed a one-size-fits-all mandate on how school calendars are to be set; and <br /> WHEREAS,the current one-size-fits-all school calendar start date is no earlier than the Monday <br /> closest to August 26 and the end date is no later than the Friday closest to June 11; and <br /> WHEREAS,the State mandated late August start date means high schools do not complete the first <br /> semester until mid to late January; and <br /> WHEREAS,the current law essentially requires high school students to take first semester exams <br /> after the winter break,which negatively impacts test scores, according to students and educators; and <br /> WHEREAS,the second semester for high schools starts two to three weeks later than community <br /> colleges and universities; and <br /> WHEREAS, superintendents report that the calendar misalignment makes it nearly impossible for <br /> high school students or recent winter graduates to take courses at a nearby community college or <br /> university during the second semester; and <br /> WHEREAS, exams for Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate classes are given on the <br /> same day nationwide, and the current calendar law shortens the amount of time North Carolina's <br /> students have to learn the material before test day; and <br />