The federal Martin Luther King Jr. holiday - Jan. 18, 2016 - will be a day off school in January, Jefferson City's Board of Education decided Monday night.
In the past, it's been set on the calendar as a holiday - unless it was needed as a weather make-up day.
The board voted Monday to eliminate its use as a weather make-up day, even if there are enough weather-related school closings in the late-fall and early winter to warrant its use.
President's Day - Feb. 15, 2016 - remains a possible weather make-up day "if it (a weather closing) happens before Christmas and we can give advance notice," new Superintendent Larry Linthacum said.
The change also means, Dennis Nicholson reminded colleagues, that too many bad weather days means "opening up the possibility of make-up days after Memorial Day."
Monday was Linthacum's first Jefferson City board meeting, after he came here following several years as the Maryville School District's superintendent.
"This is a lot bigger district, with bigger issues," he noted. "I think you use the same principles, though.
"You identify what your needs are - and you be proactive" in dealing with issues.
The board also agreed to remove May 20 and 27 from the weather make-up days list - if the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) agrees to move the State Track Meets from Lincoln University to Adkins Stadium.
While Linthacum noted LU, the Convention and Visitors Bureau and other local business interests support the move, he added, "It's not a done-deal, yet."
The MSHSAA board will make its decision in September.
School Board members approved two "athletic trainer agreements" that were discussed, but tabled, last month.
Peak Performance will provide services to high school students - grades 9-12 - while Capital Region Medical Center will provide those services to middle school athletes.
Board President John Ruth was a high school athlete.
"My brother and I spent way too much time with those athletic trainers," he said after Monday's meeting. "I'm a true believer in what they do.
"Injuries are a part of athletics - and sometimes not only injuries, but injury prevention."
Ruth credited Pat Forbis, who died Feb. 12, 2014, with being "instrumental in bringing some really neat programming to our athletics, including our concussion program and concussion awareness."
Forbis graduated from Jefferson City High School in 1974 and Northwest Missouri State University in 1978, then worked and studied in Nebraska and Texas before returning to Jefferson City in 1989.
He worked with the Bone and Joint Clinic, then Capital Region and, finally, St. Mary's Health Center's Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation.
Ruth recalled: "Pat wore me out with one-pound weights, when I had shoulder surgery in high school.
"He tried to bring us some formality to these contracts, to be sure that we did have ample staff."
The board also approved a contract with Nathan Van Loo Electric, to provide electrical service to two mobile units, providing four classrooms, that have been added to the Nichols Career Center complex.
"The need there is because we're going to take three (existing) classrooms for the culinary arts kitchens," Facilities Director Bob Weber reported. "And we're just out of classroom space, so we brought in two double units," which will get their electric power from a separate drop that Ameren Missouri will be supplying.