Changes could be on the way for the Selma City Schools spring break schedule.

During a Tuesday work session, the Selma City School Board discussed the possibility of moving the break from the week of March 12 to 16 to the week of March 19 to 23 to give students a better approach to the Alabama High School Graduation exam.

The current schedule for spring break, March 12 to 16, would have students returning to school and immediately entering the test period, interim superintendent Gerald Shirley said. This can put them at a tremendous disadvantage.

Shirley said they do not have control over when students are tested, but they can adjust the schedule.

Board member Brenda Obomanu said she feels testing students after a long layoff does not give them the opportunity to achieve at the highest level.

“When educating children, we need to give them the best opportunity to succeed,” she said. “We all know what children did during Christmas break. There is a lot of traveling, parties, and balls. We need to give our children an opportunity to be successful. We don’t need them to come back after staying up late and taking the test. That’s a very serious test.”

Obomanu said it is important to take a closer look at scheduling to make sure students are at their best for this critical test.

“We need to focus and think about Mr. Shirley’s recommendations that we change the date so that we can give our children every opportunity we can for them to succeed,” she said.

On that same note, board president Henry Hicks said he would like to see semester exams altered in the same fashion. Students are now in the process of preparing for semester exams after a long Christmas break. Hicks said he would like to see all exams moved to before the break.

“All of it should be considered the same,” he said. “I know (the graduation exam) is important, but to me they are all important. Why not let them test before school is out? All of them should be done before they go out on a break.”

Shirley agreed, saying the board should seriously consider changing the 2012-13 calendar to have fall semester exams completed before the Christmas break.

“That is something that will be taken into consideration for next year’s calendar,” he said.

“What we would like to do it give them semester exams the week before they go home, or the week they do go home.”