The Fayette County Board of Education voted 3-2 Monday to approve its 2008-09 school calendar, which features Aug. 11 as the first day of school and May 29 as the last day of school.

The first semester of the school calendar concludes Dec. 18, 2008, followed by a teachers work day the next day and a semester break that begins Dec. 22 and ends Jan. 2, 2009. The first semester also features a five-day break for Thanksgiving.

The second semester includes a four-day winter break that begins the day after Presidents' Day (Feb. 17) and a five-day spring break that begins April 6, 2009, and ends April 10.

Chairman Terri Smith and board members Bob Todd and Janet Smola supported the 2008-09 calendar, while board members Marion Key and Lee Wright opposed it.

"I think our constituents wanted a later start," Wright said, "but I don't think they wanted to pay for it this way."

Todd said his constituents were most concerned with vacation days for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

“The calendars that have cut Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays have received the most criticism from the people I’ve heard from,” Todd said.

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