Updated February 18, 2019

Adding Veterans Day to the School Calendar brought a debate recently among the Giles County School Board members.

Board Member Jim Stewart made a motion to amend the proposed school calendar to exclude Veterans Day as a school day and to change board policy to add the day as a holiday for employees

We would like to see Giles County Schools closed to honor Veterans on Veterans Day said members Joe Parker and Tommy Pope. 

School Director Phillip Wright added he agrees it is a national holiday, but we have great Veterans Day programs in our schools and would hate to take that away from our students.

Wright advised removing Veterans Day as a school day would require the Calendar Committee to find another day for instruction and that would only be a small window to make changes and submit the calendar to the state by May.

Keeping schools open on Veterans Day is not against veterans, said Chairman Richie Brewer, it is about the board's main responsibility which is education.

Stewart's proposed amendment to the calendar fail by a vote of 3 to 4 with Knox Vanderpool, Katie Journey, Charles McElroy and Brewer voting against the amendment.

After lengthy discussion, the board voted 4-3 to approve the 2019-2020 school calendar.