MARIETTA - Despite boos and catcalls from a room full of livid parents, the Cobb school board on Wednesday approved the much criticized "balanced calendar" for the next three years.

The board voted 4-3, with board members Alison Bartlett, Dr. John Crooks and David Morgan voting against. Surprisingly, board Chairman Dr. John Abraham made the motion, even though he vowed to support a later school start date beginning in late August or near Labor Day during his campaign for the board.

The three-year calendar begins the 2010-11 school year on Aug. 2, offers a week off in September, a week off at Thanksgiving, two weeks off at Christmastime, a week off in February, a week off in April, and ends the school year May 27.

Abraham said he based his decision to betray his campaign promise largely because of a teacher/staff survey the district conducted that garnered 8,400 responses, with 4,315 or 51.1 percent in favor of the balanced calendar.

"I mean, these are the folks where the rubber hits the road, who we expect a lot of, and they're doing a number of things, and I worry about their burnout. So I think their quality of life is important to me," Abraham said.

Abraham also believes a balanced calendar will improve student performance, citing a dissertation conducted at Purdue University.

"(The author) felt that that might be a co-factor in student achievement because it makes sense that you have six to seven weeks where a person can get back up to speed, especially with disadvantaged children that would benefit the most," he said.

Board member Holli Cash curiously cited the city of Savannah, which is also pursuing a balanced calendar, as a reason she wanted one too.

Board member David Banks also campaigned on a late August start date, but too reversed his position. He touched on Abraham's thinking about how the week breaks will help students who are falling behind.

Yet Bartlett, a teacher, asked who was going to do such tutoring since the teachers would be off during those breaks as well. Moreover, the district didn't have the funding to hire more staff.

Banks, who represents the parents in upscale east Cobb, said they could always pay for private tutoring.

Bartlett and Morgan, who represent less wealthy areas of the county, were surprised with that comment.

"Who is going to pay for the lower performing students to receive academic help during these week off? Where are they going to receive academic help?" Bartlett asked.

Morgan said many of his constituents can't afford private tutoring services. Nor could many afford placing children in day cares while they were at work, which meant the children would most likely be left at home alone.

Bartlett said, "Day care options are limited with one week breaks. During the summer, local Y's, churches and community centers are able to provide inexpensive day care because of job opportunities that are two months. It is hard and costly for our working parent support systems to staff up for one week intervals."

Bartlett said another concern is the mixed message the school district is sending concerning cost and going "green." She noted how the school district's offices and schools were closed on Fridays during last year's summer break to save money and energy. Yet the balanced calendar has students reporting five days earlier and teachers starting in July, she said.

"The Corps of Engineers records show that August is statistically our hottest month. Our budget is in a crisis situation and we are choosing to increase our utility costs for what reason?" Bartlett asked.

Board member Lynnda Crowder-Eagle asked Sanderson which of the calendars were the costliest. Sanderson said he didn't know.

"Cost analysis is difficult to do when you haven't experienced that. What we can do and what you can utilize is average cost of utilities, things of that nature, on various times of the year. And in our estimation, you're still in school 180 days, that's what's important, and you trade off one week for another week. So any cost savings, I can't say there would be, I can't say there would not be at that time, but I think it would be insignificant in the total look at our budget," Sanderson said.

Bartlett also said putting buses on the road during one of the worst smog level months is not a good idea.

"Our asthmatic students are going to be sitting on buses that are 90 to 100 degrees in dangerous air quality for four weeks. The majority of our school buses are not air-conditioned. In fact, during the month of August, citizens in the metro community are warned to stay indoors because of the air quality," she said.

One questioner reminded the board that the teachers and board work for the citizens. As such, why weren't the citizens, who placed the board members in office, given the chance to have a survey like the teachers did?

"I think I was more concerned about teachers," Abraham said.

"I want to know how to improve teachers' quality of life. Besides I think teachers are our experts in the field, knowing their experience, knowing their expertise with the community, what calendar best serves the children in regards to enhancing student achievement," Abraham said.

Audience members warned him that he could listen to teachers and Sanderson all he liked, but failing to listen to parents would cost him at the ballot box in July.

The teacher survey in which Abraham based his decision on came under scrutiny at the meeting when Sanderson announced that rather than being a secret ballot, as is done in elections for government officials, the votes the teachers cast could be traced by his staff.

Moreover, Bartlett dropped a bombshell during the meeting when she revealed that staff from five schools had informed her that they had been pressured by principals to vote in favor of a balanced calendar. While Sanderson did not give a recommendation to the board on which calendar to adopt, ever since he became superintendent he has opposed efforts for a later school start date - just like his predecessor, Joe Redden.

Said Bartlett: "Cobb County employees contacted me that they felt they were being pushed to vote for a balanced calendar and that they were concerned that that was what was being marketed and they were to vote on the balanced calendar," Bartlett said.

"We have some schools that definitely the principals strongly encouraged their employees to vote for the balanced calendar. There are five schools I know of that I got direct reports from," she said.

Abraham and Cash criticized Bartlett for waiting until the board meeting to reveal such serious allegations.

Bartlett replied, "Why did I do it now? Because we were talking about the survey and everyone was saying about how wonderful the survey is, and I have some concerns with the survey."

During the press conference following the meeting, Abraham spoke about how upset he was by the allegations.

"I'm going to tell you right now that I condemn that and I take that very seriously and that I know Mr. Sanderson is going to be investigating that tomorrow to find out if the teachers were actually coerced. It bothers me and I'm upset by this and I wholeheartedly condemn that," he said.

Sanderson said he condemned it as well.

"I would expect people to call my office and notify me if it's true," he said.

Abraham was asked if the allegations turned out to be true, would it change his mind about the validity of the survey.

"I think it's a separate issue. I think we need to take a serious look at that to find out if indeed these people were coerced. A recommendation is different from coersion. If they were coerced, I have some very serious concerns about that," he said.

Another unusual event that occurred at the meeting was during the public comment session, when Walton High School mom Vivian Jackson addressed the board about why they shouldn't vote for a balanced calendar. Yet as she spoke, board attorney Glenn Brock attempted to interrupt her, while Abraham summoned a police officer.

Abraham was asked why he would call a police office to remove a mother who was simply expressing her opinion on the calendar.

"It wasn't harassment," Abraham said.

"We expect a modicum of respect and discipline in this room and that's the reason I ordered the officer. The person was not complying with that by criticizing people. The public comment is to critique ideas and make recommendations," Abraham said. "...I think she was disrespectful. I think she was very much calling out people that she didn't need to make her point. I think she was against the balanced calendar. She made that comment, she brought signs in, she made her point, and then it was a moot point. Her 90 seconds were up."