If you've got school-age kids, mark Oct. 29 on your calendar.

That's the first scheduled early release day under a new plan by the school district to let students out early one day each month.

All public school students will be released two hours early on that day. The aim is to give teachers more time for planning, and the early release idea was part of recent contract negotiations between the district and the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association.

Both sides still have to finalize the plan as a formality.

District spokeswoman Linda Cobbe said Monday that parents should receive a letter from their child's school today or tomorrow, as well as a recorded phone call, about the schedule change. It's also being publicized on school signs and Web sites.

Originally, district officials said they might cancel a day off for students already scheduled for Oct. 17. But Cobbe said that day will go on as planned because it's a statewide teacher day.

Jan Wesner, Times staff writer

*