Recently, all VUSD schools had their annual fall break: a week towards the end of October where all of the district’s students have nine total days off from school. While we have this implemented into our schedule, all of our neighboring school districts such as Oxnard, Santa Barbara and Santa Paula schools do not have this week off, instead opting for a two-week spring break. The 2018-2019 Ventura Unified School District calendar can be found here.

When asked if fall break helps with his school abilities, junior Alberto Zamora said, “Yes, because when you come back from break you feel relaxed.” Zamora was also asked if he would prefer the two week spring break and he said, “No, I like our fall and spring breaks, because if you have two separate breaks several months apart it is more relaxing, and gives you something to look forward too.”

Sean Reynolds, a Spanish teacher at Ventura High School who also works with a committee that plans the calendar for the school year, said that fall break has “pretty much been tradition” and that “a great deal of employees and students in our district enjoy that first quarter break.” Reynolds also talked about how “fall break works very well in the schedule, since [they] have to have 180 days off school, and [it] keeps our other breaks such as Thanksgiving and Winter the same.”

The spring break this year will be April 1 to April 5, not including the two weekends surrounding it.