Danbury Schools to Start in August

DANBURY, CT --The first day of the 2018-19 school year will be August 31 following the Danbury Board of Education’s approval of the new calendar at its June 13 meeting.

August 31 is an addition to the calendar and will be shortened as a weather/emergency dismissal. This addition allows the district to make up the one day the schools fell short in 2017-18 due to the May 15 tornadoes and macrobursts that devastated the Danbury area. The remainder of the day will be pre-opening for faculty and staff, the BOE said in a release.

The State of Board of Education on June 6 granted the Danbury Public Schools’ request to end the 2017-18 school year on June 29. Superintendent Dr. Sal Pascarella spoke on behalf of the schools and explained the severity of the storm and the necessity of closing schools for several days to ensure students’ safety.

However, because the schools will fall short of the required 180 days per academic year by one day -- and three schools fall short by two days -- the state did not waive the required 180 days despite ending the school year on June 29 and required the missing time to be made up the following school year.

As set in the calendar, all Danbury schools will complete 181 days for the 2018-19 school year to make up for the missed school time. Broadview Middle School and Pembroke and Hayestown Avenue elementary schools will go 182 days next year as a result of other closures due to a city water main break and an October power outage. The extra day for these three schools is October 8, when schools are closed to students for staff professional development, and is scheduled as a weather/emergency dismissal. The remainder of the day, faculty and staff will join planned professional development activities.