Bowling Green Independent Schools is asking parents to weigh in on choosing a 2010-11 school year academic calendar.

The district sent e-mails to parents Wednesday asking them to choose one of the three calendar scenarios drafted by the 16-member calendar committee, which is made up of teachers and administrators, said Jon Lawson, director of pupil personnel for the district.

Lawson said parents have until Nov. 16 to give their input by reviewing the survey online at www.b-g.k12.ky.us/calendarsurvey1011.htm. The survey forms should be printed and sent to Lawson at Bowling Green Independent Schools, 1211 Center St., Bowling Green, KY 42101.

The calendar committee will then take the parental and staff survey results into consideration before presenting a recommendation to the school board for a vote at the Dec. 14 meeting.

“We like to weigh in as to what all our stakeholders feel might be the best calendar and everybody has different perspectives based on where they sit,” said Lawson, who chairs the calendar committee. “I think it helps us make the best decision when it comes time to make a recommendation to the board.”

The calendars must all include 177 instructional days, and four holidays - Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Presidents Day. School cannot be held Nov. 2 or May 17 due to regular and primary elections and school must be in session March 15 and March 29 for Bowling Green High School juniors to take the ACT exam.

Despite those requirements, the calendars vary as how many days students will break in the fall and spring.

Calendar option No. 1 is most similar to the current calendar and has students coming back to school Aug. 4, and then taking a fall break from Oct. 4 to Oct. 12. A mini spring break has students out March 10-11 while the full spring break falls April 1-8. With that option, the last day of school is May 25.

Option No. 2 brings students into school Aug. 3, but only gives them a fall break from Oct. 4-8. This calendar splits up spring break into a break from March 7-11 and a two-day break on April 7-8. School, however, dismisses earlier than the previous calendar, with students adjourning for summer on May 19.

The final option has a delayed opening, with students not arriving until Aug. 10. That option has a fall break from Oct. 4-8, with a two-day mini break March 10-11. Spring break falls April 4-8. With this option, the last day of school would be May 26.

By comparison, the current calendar began Aug. 4 with fall break running from Oct. 5-13. A mini break for students this year will be March 11-12 with spring break falling April 5-9. School will dismiss May 21.

Lawson said he expects a good amount of input from parents and staff as e-mails were sent out Wednesday morning. By the afternoon, he had already received more than 25 responses.

“We welcome everyone’s input and assure them it is ... taken into account when we try to make a recommendation as to which calendar would best meet the needs of the district,” Lawson said.