HOOVER – A school calendar with an earlier start date, later finish date, a full week off for Thanksgiving and a longer winter holiday is the choice of Hoover City Schools parents, employees and community members.

Stakeholders were given the opportunity to vote on three drafts for a calendar for the 2017-18 school system calendar.

After 3,575 responses over a one-week period, Draft B was the favorite with 42 percent of the vote compared to 32.5 percent for Draft A and 22.5 percent for Draft C.

Superintendent Kathy Murphy told the HCS Board of Education at its Dec. 12 meeting that she plans to recommend Draft B to the board in January 2017 for approval.

Differences in the calendars are outlined below, followed by dates that were common in all the drafts:

Draft A

• First day for students Aug. 10.
• Thanksgiving holiday Nov. 20-24.
• Winter holiday Dec. 22 to Jan. Jan. 2.
• Teacher workdays (no school for students) Feb. 19-20.
• Last day for students May 23.

Draft B

• First day for students Aug. 9.
• Thanksgiving holiday Nov. 20-24.
• Winter holiday Dec. 21 to Jan. 4.
• Teacher workday Feb. 19.
• Last day for students May 24.

Draft C

• First day for students Aug. 10.
• Thanksgiving holiday Nov. 22-24.
• Winter holiday Dec. 20 to Jan. 3.
• Teacher workdays Feb. 19-20.
• Last day for students May 24.

Dates common in all three drafts

• Labor Day Sept. 4.
• Teacher workday Oct. 9.
• Veterans Day Nov. 10.
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day Jan. 15.
• Spring break March 26-30.

•Teacher workday April 23.