Storms Impact School Calendar

It's only early November, but adjustments are already being made to the school calendar due to severe weather.

Following two historic storms that left Middlefield and Durham residents without power for several days, the board of education approved a proposal Wednesday night that would reduce an already shortened February break from five days to four.

Tuesday, Feb. 21 would no longer be a day off for students under the plan.

The proposal, which will require approval from the teachers' unions according to Superintendent Susan Viccaro, also includes the addition of three (2-hour) professional development days (one each in Dec., Jan. and Feb.)

Viccaro said the district had already made up five of the six canceled school days by shifting the final day of school from Thursday, June 14 to Wednesday, June 20 and by opening the schools on Election Day.

"We still have 182 instruction days for students," Viccaro said while cautioning the board that it's only November. "I won't pretend to tell you that if we have a lot of snow days I won't be back before you saying can we go back to 180 days."

Last year, the district was forced to make up eight snow days.

The proposed changes to this year's calendar would give the district some flexibility, Viccaro said, because it leaves seven possible make-up days on the calendar.

Board member Nancy Boyle said she felt the elimination of the Feb. 21 vacation day would upset some parents.

Viccaro and some board members agreed that keeping the schools open on Feb. 21 would prove beneificial to students and teachers due to the timing of CMTs, which begin in late February.

"There's not a lot of options," she said.

Check back with Patch for more from Wednesday's Board of Education meeting.