School Committee Considering No School on Good Friday Following High Absence Rate

MANSFIELD, MA — Good Friday wasn’t a day off from school but is sure felt like it in Mansfield, based on a report from Superintendent Zeffro Gianetti,

Gianetti told the school committee Tuesday that April 14 met the standard of a day of low attendance, leading him to recommend possibly having no school on the holiday next year.

“In my mind that happened. It’s very difficult to introduce new lessons when students are out,” Gianetti said.

The superintendent said 53 percent of students at the high school were not present that day and 16 classes district-wide didn't have a substitute teacher because the town’s stable of subs is not large enough to cover the high amount of teachers who were out due to religious reasons.

“Talking with the office assistants who manage the substitute teachers, this is a project they were working on for a couple of months. We just don't have the number of subs to cover everything,” Assistant Superintendent Teresa Murphy said.

Committee member Lynn Cavicchi noted that Good Friday 2017 fell on the last day of school before the April break. Next year, the holiday is March 30.

Teachers are not allowed to take the last day off before a break without permission. That is not needed for a religious holiday. Committee member Lauren Scher wanted to know who took the day off and who was not at school for religious reasons, but that would be difficult to know, Gianetti said.

“How do you question if someone is taking a day off for religion? We’re not in a position to do that,” he said.

The committee will consider adding Good Friday as a half-day or day off to the 2017-18 calendar at their next meeting.

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