Mario Bartel, Richmond Review

Two week spring breaks will become the norm, if trustees on the Richmond Board of Education agree with a staff recommendation.

On Monday, trustees will vote on the issue, after staff recommended in a report to the board that the two-week break be brought back next year and in subsequent years, and then reviewed every other year.

To gauge what parents, students and staff thought about this year’s initial two-week hiatus, 21,940 surveys were sent home to parents.

52.5 per cent of parents responded, with 68.3 per cent of parents in favour, and 14.3 per cent of parents saying they had no preference.

Among school employees, 87.6 per cent were in favour.

Of those who stated an objection to the two-week break, complaints included skepticism that an extra eight or nine minutes each day equated to five days of instruction, difficulty in finding daycare and concerns about students becoming bored at home….