It's that time of year again, and it appears that Howard County high school seniors are preparing for a skip day tomorrow.

With no school Friday (parent/teacher conferences) and Tuesday (primary election), word surfaced that students hoped to skip school to create a five-day weekend.

Scott Pfeifer, principal at Centennial High School, got wind of the plan early last week and immediately sent out e-mails warning against it. As the week went on, about half of the high schools sent out similar warnings, said system spokeswoman Patti Caplan.

"We just want parents to be aware that something may be afoot," Caplan said. "They should keep a close eye on their seniors. It will be considered an illegal absence."

Pfeifer said seniors typically designate up to four "senior skip days" during a school year.

"When we hear in advance, we do alert the community," he said. "We want to keep our kids on task every day."

Parents of seniors who are absent Monday can expect a phone call, Pfeifer said.

"If the parent thought [their child] should have been [in school], there will be disciplinary consequences," said Pfeifer, adding that punishments can include Saturday detention.

Construction plans

A major construction project at Mount Hebron High School could begin as early as the spring of next year if the county Board of Education follows the timetable set by Superintendent Sydney L. Cousin and his staff.

The $54 million plan would pay for the demolition of the school's English wing and renovation of other parts of the building. The project would add 25,000 square feet to the school.

"We're also looking to improve the programs of other parts of the building as well," said Ken Roey, system executive director of facilities and management.

A schematic design will be brought to the school board for approval in April, Roey said. Detailed design work is expected to be complete by July. The construction and bid documents will be ready for approval by December, Roey added.

Endorsement woes

The African American Coalition of Howard County, a self-described local think-tank, did not endorse the only African-American candidate in this year's school board election.

Instead, the group endorsed Allen Dyer and incumbents Ellen Flynn Giles and Janet Siddiqui.

Faenta Dilworth said she was disappointed to not receive the endorsement.

"I'm the only black candidate," she said. "I don't believe that they [coalition leaders] know me, and perhaps with the additional press coverage they will have the opportunity to get to know me better."

Coalition officials, who based their endorsements on a candidates forum Jan. 12, said Dilworth "did not display visionary leadership" on issues important to education in the African-American community.

"Specifically, she did not articulate a firm knowledge of the Black Student Achievement [Program] and the culturally proficient school programs that focus on closing the county's academic achievement gap," the group said in a news release.

Dilworth said she was surprised by the statement because of her past work with the program and founder Gloria Washington Wallace. Dilworth said she worked with the organization as an academic mentor at Oakland Mills Middle School from 1999 to 2001.

Dilworth also said she supports the cultural proficiency so much that she thinks all school employees should receive the training firsthand. She was under the impression that employees learned about the program from peers who attended training.

The coalition also questioned Dilworth's knowledge of the budget.

Dilworth said she looks forward to learning more about the budget.

"It is a massive, massive document," she said. "Before I say what a person is not doing, I'd like to have greater insight to what we are doing with a 600-plus million dollar budget."

International night

More than 200 people attended Fulton Elementary's first international night, and organizers deemed the event a success.

"It was fantastic," said Shalini Uttamsingh, a coordinator. "We had an amazing response. People really went all out with their displays. There was enough food to feed an army."

The two-hour event featured a mix of educational display booths, ethnic dances and food.

The event, held Feb. 1, was spread throughout the school. Displays were in hallways. Dancing was in the cafetorium. Games from around the globe were displayed in the gymnasium.

"It's almost like every student could see how their friends lived," Uttamsingh said.

john-john.williams@baltsun.com