Warren County schools will begin the 2014-15 school year on Friday, Aug. 7. The School Board unanimously voted to adopt the calendar Thursday night.
Noticeable changes include the removal of late-start days. Late-start Thursdays, where school started two hours late once a month, were added to the calendar this year to  provide teachers with time to meet and discuss the new common core curriculum.
Replacing late-start days are early release days, which are included four times throughout the year, Oct. 2, Dec. 4, Feb. 5 and March 5.
On early release days, students will be released from school at 1 p.m. Teachers will remain at school for professional development until 3 p.m. These days are also stockpiled days.
Another noticeable difference is days set aside for parent/ teacher conferences. Instead of one evening set aside for all schools to conduct conferences, three days will be used to conduct the meetings. In the spring and fall, one evening will be set aside for pre-K through elementary conferences. Another day will be used for Warren County Middle School conferences. And, a third will be used for WCHS consultations.
Director of Schools Bobby Cox said parents had voiced it was too hard to get to multiple schools for conferences if they have children who attend different schools. He also said teachers who are parents were having a hard time attending their own children’s conferences.
Terms will remain quarterly providing four nine-week grading periods. Highlights of the calendar include three major breaks beginning with fall break from Oct. 13-17. Christmas break will begin Dec. 22 and students will return to school Jan. 6. Spring break will allow another vacation running March 30-April 3.
There will also be a three-day Thanksgiving break from Nov. 26-28.
The last day of school is scheduled for May 21. The class of 2015 will walk across the stage for graduation May 22.
The calendar also includes 10 inclement weather days.