Schools and Union to Negotiate More Make-Up Days

A start to the school year combined with a greater than usual number of snow days have created a scheduling problem for the in meeting the state's requirement of 180 school days. 

Salem schools canceled classes for the sixth day already this year due to , one more than was included in the school calendar negotiated between the district and the Salem Teachers Union.

Superintendent Dr. William Cameron said he will meet with representatives from the union on Monday to discuss a possible resolution. Any change to the calendar must then be approved by the School Committee and the union membership.

"We have to take into account that we could have more snow days," Cameron said. "We've had six snow days already, and we're only about one-third of the way through winter."

Adding school days on to the end of the year is problematic for at least two reasons, he said. 

One reason is that adding days at the end of June or even into July is "not productive," Cameron said, because students are just waiting around for the end of the year and not necessarily learning.

The major problem has to do with a clause in the teachers contract requiring that teachers' last day come on or before June 30. Already, with the addition of five scheduled snow days, the last day of school is scheduled for June 28.

The late start date this school year — the first day of school for students was Sept. 9 — was also contractual. The teachers contract requires school start no sooner than two days after Labor Day.

"This whole problem was caused by the late start," Cameron said. "We would be ending the year much sooner if not for that."

Joyce Harrington, president of the Salem Teachers Union, said the start date could be on the table for negotiation for the next teachers contract. The current one-year contract expires Aug. 31.

"It's always been up for negotiation," Harrington said. "No [negotiation] team I've been on has brought it up to move the date up before Labor Day."

Harrington said several ideas have been floated for adding more make-up days, including Saturday classes or taking up some vacation days.

"A number of years ago we ran into a situation where a vacation was impacted," she said.

Longer school days are not an option, Cameron said, because state law requires 180 separate days of instruction. Teacher workshop days are also out — all four professional development days have already been used up.

Both Cameron and Harrington were hopeful that an arrangement could be worked out on Monday.

"It's going to be tricky, but a lot of school districts are in the same boat," Harrington said. "Some districts may have a little more leeway from starting sooner."

"It may be resolved Monday, it may not be," Cameron said. "I'd prefer not to be thinking about bad weather and snow anymore."