March 16, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Redmond, Wash. – Due to three and a half snow days earlier in the year, the new last day of school will be June 22. School was not held on the two days before Thanksgiving, which included one full day (November 23) and one half day (November 24). In addition, there was no school on two days in February.

Instead of ending with a half day on June 16, there will be full school days on June 16 (Thursday), 17 (Friday) and 20 (Monday). Because one of the days missed was a half day and the last day of school is a half day, there will be two half days to end the school year – June 21 (Tuesday) and 22 (Wednesday).

Ending the school year with two half days is unusual. The district is required by state law to provide 180 days of school, whether they are half days or full days. One of the November snow days was a scheduled half day and the last day of school was scheduled as a half day. If both half days were combined into one full day, the district would only be offering 179 days of school. This unusual schedule, with two half days at the end of the school year, keeps the district in compliance with state law.

The one-page sheet calendar and the page-per-month wall calendars have been updated on the district website to reflect these changes.

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About Lake Washington: Lake Washington School District is a high-performing public school district serving Kirkland, Redmond, and Sammamish, Washington. It is the sixth largest district in the state of Washington, with over 24,000 students in 50 schools.