Clayton News Daily

By Curt Yeomans

cyeomans@news-daily.com

Clayton County Public Schools Spokesman Charles White recently announced that the school system will close its offices Dec. 21 through Jan. 1, in observance of a two-week semester break.

The school system's first semester will conclude on Friday, an early-release day for the district. "The system will observe semester break beginning Monday, Dec. 21, continuing through Friday, Jan. 1, 2010," White said in a written statement. "All schools and offices will be closed during the two-week semester break period."

On Friday, elementary schools will release students at 11:15 a.m., while high schools will release their pupils at 11:40 a.m., and middle schools will release students at 12:20 p.m., according to White. An exception will be students who do not wear uniform dress to school on Friday.

Clayton County Public Schools Superintendent Edmond Heatley announced Monday that students who do not wear the designated attire will have to stay after the early-release times to serve detention. Those students will have to stay in detention until their school's normal release time, unless a parent or guardian comes to the school to pick them up, according to Heatley.

The district's schools and offices will re-open on Jan. 4, 2010, but it will be a professional development day for school system employees, White said. Students will return to school with the opening of the second semester on Jan. 5.