The sleeping in, the silence of the alarm clock, and the endless free-time. These are the greatest moments of a student’s school career. However, not everyone has the luxury of sharing their break with someone else in a different school district. As many different school districts around Utica Community Schools follow different schedules, it is difficult for teachers and students to align their plans with friends and family in other districts.

Some of the most obvious differences between school districts occur with Mid-Winter break. In UCS we have an entire week off starting Feb. 15 and through Feb. 25. Other districts that followed this schedule are Warren Consolidated Schools and Chippewa Valley Schools. However, other close by districts like Romeo have a different, shorter Mid-Winter break lasting from Feb. 15-20.

Many students believe that the dates of Mid-Winter break may have an impact on when the last day of school is. This is a widely popular belief

as districts like Romeo have a shorter Mid-
Winter break and also begin their Summer break sooner than our district.

“I do not like the different calendars,” junior Lauren Kerr said. “Because my mom is a teacher with a different break, it is harder to do things as a family.”

Some students in other districts get a longer winter break than others. Districts like UCS, Chippewa Valley Schools, and Romeo had winter break from Dec. 24 to Jan. 2 while Warren Consolidated Schools went back to class on Jan. 7.

Overall, there is nothing that can be done about the calendar shifting. The state of Michigan sets limits regarding time in school, but does not assign a state-wide date for schools to start or stop. While counties are required by law to have the same

Christmas and spring breaks, districts shape their own calendars based upon certain holidays and the demographics of the area. Making plans and scheduling based on another district’s agenda can create conflict, and vacations will be harder to align with family members.