Plano ISD trustees voted to adopt a 2018-19 academic calendar that has students in school a week earlier when compared to the 2017-18 school year. Students will begin their classes on Aug. 13, 2018, a Monday, and end on May 24, 2019, a Friday. The last day of classes before winter break will be Friday, Dec. 21, 2018. Winter break will officially begin Monday, Dec. 24, 2018, and end on Jan. 4, 2019. The newly adopted calendar contains the earlier start-and-end dates of the two calendars presented Tuesday evening. The calendar that was not adopted would have had students in school on Aug. 15, 2018, a Wednesday, and end on May 29, 2019, also a Wednesday. District staff members conducted a survey for a previous PISD board meeting that contained drafts of two similar calendars. The survey included responses from five groups: parents of students, staff members, students, nonparent community members and staff members who are also parents of students. Of the 3,525 responses, 57 percent voted for the earlier start-and-end dates. District staffers presented the results of the survey to trustees at a Oct. 3 meeting. “I certainly think that [the Aug. 13 start date]  still certainly meets the academic needs of our children better than anything we’ve seen, and the early surveys from parents show the Aug. 13 date is certainly not a deal-breaker—in fact, it’s preferred,” trustee Tammy Richards said at the Oct. 3 meeting. Of the groups of responders, staff members were the only responders whose majority voted in favor of the Aug. 15 start date. Editors note: This story has been updated to clarify the last day of classes before students leave for winter break.