Lake Travis ISD Director of Accountability and Achievement Cathy Burbank presented the board of trustees two options for the Lake Travis ISD 2018-19 instructional calendar at a meeting Dec. 19. A change in both calendars compared to past year is that students would have a day off the first Friday of Austin City Limits Music Festival, which falls on Oct. 5, she said. Last year, 643 students were absent that Friday, over 40 percent more that the second Friday of ACL. Neither day was given off on the 2017-18 calendar. According to board documents, both calendars featured school closings for Labor Day on Sept. 3, Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 21, Good Friday on April 18 and Memorial Day on May 27. Student holidays are scheduled for Presidents Day on Feb. 18, and the prior Friday, Feb. 15. The calendars also included school closures for the full week of Thanksgiving, Nov. 19-23, and a two-week winter break, Dec. 24-Jan. 4. Students would return to class after winter break Tuesday, Jan. 8. May 24 is also listed as the last day of classes for both calendar options, Burbank said. The board will take action to approve one of the options at its Jan. 23 meeting. Option 1 If Option 1 is selected, teachers would return to school Aug. 8 and classes would begin Wed., Aug. 15. “When we talked to the campuses and the different committees, the calendar most people have said they would like to try is the calendar [that starts on Aug. 15],” Burbank said. School would be closed to teachers and students Oct. 5 in Option 1, with a teacher development day scheduled for Columbus Day on Oct. 8. “We felt like [Oct. 5] needs to be a day that everyone is off,” she said. Students would also have the Thursday and Friday ahead of Presidents Day off in Option 1. Option 2 If Option 2 is selected, teachers would return to school Aug. 9, and classes would begin Monday, Aug. 20, giving teachers more days to prepare for the coming school year. School would be closed for students only Oct. 5, and schools would be open for Columbus Day in the second option. Students would only have the Friday before Presidents Day off in Option 2.