Parents who are already making plans based on the 2011-2012 school calendar may need to tweak those plans a bit.

School board members on Thursday, May 19, made a small change in the calendar to make Friday, Feb. 17, a school day and Monday, Feb. 20, a holiday – Presidents’ Day . e

Th calendar originally had let students out of school on Friday for a teacher work day and brought them back Monday. However, Superintendent Dr. Sharon Doughty told board members on May 19 that the last time the district had a similar arrangement there was “a lot of absenteeism.”

The board is also debating the date of its August meeting. Board meetings are normally set for the second Thursday of the month, which would make it on Thursday, Aug. 11. However, trustees are considering setting the August meeting for Thursday, Aug. 25, instead, to avoid having two meetings that month.

Usually, the board meets the second Thursday and then must re-convene for a special meeting late in the month to adopt the official tax rate for the district. A meeting on Thursday, Aug. 25, would serve both purposes.

No decision was made because trustees Jay Jones and Kelly Owens were not at the May 19 meeting.

They’re also looking at starting a string of budget workshops, beginning in June.

Carol Sue Hipp, the district’s executive director of business and operations, told trustees to expect a budget workshop at 5 p.m. Thursday, June 9, before the board’s regular meeting, to discuss however much of the coming year’s budget can be discussed.

“We’ll be able to provide you with at least some preliminary information,” Hipp told the board.

At press time Tuesday, May 31, legislators had started a special session to deal with school finances, since the Senate failed to approve the House finance bill. Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, filibustered the House bill to defeat at midnight Sunday, saying the House measure did not adequately fund education.