The Spring break at MT, or the lack thereof, is a notable departure from the famous weeklong holiday that students across the country enjoy. Though it is not uncommon for schools in our area to forego the traditional break, it is still seen as an odd practice by some. 

Creating the overall district calendar is a complicated and collaborative effort between the school board, administrators, and members of the community according to Karen Nell, the Director of Secondary Curriculum and Instruction. 

When creating  the calendar, the district attempts to balance finding the best way to provide students with maintained instruction throughout the school year against the needs of students and staff for breaks throughout the year. The calendar must also align generally with those of other districts, according to Nell, to best accommodate programs like the CTC that enroll students from throughout the county. 

When considering the consequences of a spring break, Nell expressed concern over a potential loss of instructional time. “An additional week off in the spring right before AP, IB, PSSA, Keystones, and Final exams impacts our delivery of the curriculum” said Nell. A weeklong spring break would also push back the final day of the school year, an option that Nell noted the district has found no popular opinion for.

Whether or not they agree with a possibly extended academic year, few students would turn down a weeklong break if given the opportunity. “I think we really need a spring break, but that’s just me. I don’t want to stay in the school longer, but I do need days off,” said senior Destiny Charles. 

Others, like freshman Carter Bair said that, “I don’t really think that we need it, but it would be really nice.”

MT and schools across the country are closed for the Easter and Good Friday holiday, a four-day weekend that is sometimes labeled as a spring break. Though MT does not officially label this as a spring break, members of the community commonly refer to it as such. A real, traditional spring break was “something a lot of people looked forward to,” said sophomore Reagan Buffa. Despite its popularity in theory, a traditional weeklong spring break at MT seems unlikely to be implemented in the near future.