Breaux Bridge – The St. Martin Parish public school calendar for the 2011-12 session adopted last week calls for a shorter Easter holiday while providing a one-week “spring break.”

School board members approved the calendar that was favored by an overwhelming number of system employees in a poll conducted last month. Of the 904 votes cast, 78 percent favored the adopted version

A major difference from this year’s calendar is the reduction of days off at Easter. This year schools will be closed from Good Friday (April 22) through Sunday, May 1, for six school days.

But next year students will be off only for Good Friday and the Monday after Easter (April 6 and 9). A spring break will be observed two weeks later, with schools closed April 23-27.

A similar situation occurred during the 2009-10 session when LEAP testing fell just after Easter. Next year’s LEAP tests are scheduled for April 12-19, beginning the Thursday after Easter Sunday, making it impossible to have a full week of holidays after Easter.

AUG. 15 OPENING

Teachers will report for two days of professional development on Thursday, Aug. 11, and the first day of class for students will be Monday, Aug. 15. The school year will run through Thursday, May 31.

Graduation for the Class of 2012 will be on Friday, May 25.

The following holidays will be observed:

•Labor Day – Monday, Sept. 10.

•Thanksgiving – Monday through Friday, Nov. 21-25.

•Christmas Break – Monday, Dec. 26 through Friday, Jan. 6.

•Martin Luther King Day – Monday, Jan. 16.

•Mardi Gras – Monday through Wednesday, Feb. 20-22.

•Easter – Friday and Monday, April 6 and 9.

•Spring Break – Monday through Friday, April 23-27.

•Memorial Day – Monday, Jay 28.