The Lawrence school board Monday approved a 2002-2003 academic calendar that makes no significant change from this year’s version.

By unanimous vote, the board set a calendar with classes starting Aug. 14 and ending May 23.

In 2003, the holiday break will be from Dec. 23 to Jan. 3. Spring break is March 17 to 21.

Board President Sue Morgan had the plan recommended by the district’s calendar committee amended to retain a half day of elementary classes on the last day of school in May.

“Student contact time is pretty basic,” she said.

Other keys to the new calendar:

Classes start no earlier than this year.

There is no school the day before Thanksgiving.

Elementary parent conferences are moved from March to February.

An inclement weather day in April is shifted to coincide with the Kansas Relays.

Sam Rabiola, who co-chaired the district’s calendar committee, said the committee thought elementary teachers could use that last morning of school in May to pack up classroom materials for the summer.

He said dropping a half day left students with more than the minimum instructional time required by state law.

Morgan said she was disturbed with a plan that traded student instructional time for teacher clean-up time. She said emergence of the idea from a committee rather than the school board was a problem.

“I don’t think the calendar committee is the place to have teacher contract days changed,” Morgan said.

Supt. Randy Weseman urged the board to set general boundaries in August one year ahead of a calendar’s implementation to give the committee a better sense of the board’s wishes.

He also suggested the district develop two-year calendars.