ABSTRACT
The relationship among school calendars, student achievement, and family life first crept into my awareness during the spring of 1993, in response to budget cuts proposed by the newly elected Congress. Two years earlier, I had won a seat on the school board in my hometown of Columbia, Missouri. I had run for office as part of a longtime commitment to civic involvement. I was also open to the possibility that immersing myself in the operation of the local school district might provide new insights into important issues for future study.
