After Broward School Board members complained in August that the FCAT coincided with Easter and Passover in 2011, state officials agreed to change the schedule for giving the high-stakes exam.

On Tuesday, when board members were set to approve their own calendar for that school year, they balked again:

Spring break, under the tentative calendar, would fall a month before the tests, and board members don't want the kids having to take the FCATs after a weeklong mental break.

``After spring break, historically, everyone turns off,'' board member Robin Bartleman said.

So instead of voting for or against the calendar, the board chose none of the above.

Instead they will go back to the state and ask for another favor:

Give us more time to return the FCAT booklets after the test is given, so we can move spring break to the week after the exams.

Exam materials are typically due five days after the end of testing, which is now set for April 11-22 in 2011.

Because board members want to move spring break to the following week, April 25-29, the district would need permission from the state to return the materials in May.

``The state might say yes,'' said board member Ben Williams.

The FCATs were originally planned for April 18-29, which coincided with Easter and Passover. But earlier this month, the Florida Department of Education moved up the dates for math, reading and science FCATs by a week.

HOLIDAY OVERLAP

Tom Butler, a spokesman for the Department of Education, said the exam dates were moved up as a response to concerns from school districts -- particularly from Broward, which he called ``primarily the only one that was very vocal'' about the holiday overlap.

Jewish students don't typically miss school during the entire eight-day Passover holiday, though they may miss one or two days.

But they might have dietary restrictions that keep them from eating their usual breakfast, and traditional Seder feasts could keep kids up late. Both make for less-than-ideal testing conditions.

The tests can't be pushed back further because the state needs enough time to grade the FCAT so students can get their results before the end of the school year, as stipulated in state law.

The tests will now only coincide with the first few days of Passover, which in 2011 starts at sundown on April 18 and ends April 26.

Good Friday falls on April 22.

WIGGLE ROOM

The FCAT timeline gives districts enough wiggle room that they can give their tests before that day and close on Good Friday.

The Miami-Dade School Board may take up its calendar for 2010-11 in December, a spokesman for that district said.

In 2008, state lawmakers passed a law to push back the FCAT schedule so kids had more time to prepare. The law, which kicks in next school year, moved the writing FCAT from February to no earlier than the week of March 1.

The remaining math, reading and science portions were moved from March to no earlier than the week of April 15.

``The state's the one who decided to make FCAT in the middle of the holidays,'' said board member Stephanie Kraft.

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