Weymouth Will Request Waiver for Shorter School Year, Saturday School on the Table

Weymouth will become the third school district to petition the state for a school year with less than the mandatory 180 days.

The school committee voted on Thursday night to request a waiver to allow for an exemption that would allow the school district to not make up the last three snow days.

Due to the February snowstorms and the extensive work needed to remove snow from the roofs of the schools, the primary schools has missed eight days, the middle schools have to make up nine, and the high school has the most snow days with 11.

Due to the amount of snow days, Weymouth students will be in school until June 30 with an approved waiver solving a lot of problems for the school district. Makeup days for the first seven snow days take the school districts to the end of June with the eight day to be made up with an early release day on Good Friday.

If the waiver is not granted, the town will have school on Saturdays. Middle school students would go to school on one Saturday and the high school would have three saturday sessions. The primary schools will not need to hold school on the weekend.

The Saturday school days, scheduled for March 14, 21, and 28, would be early release days and need 80 percent attendance to count as a school day.

Students taking the SAT on March 14 would count towards the attendance rate.

If there are more snow days, the missed day would be made up by holding classes on the earliest Saturday possible.

Below is a summary of the plan to make up school in Weymouth. Snow days nine through 11 will not be made up if the school district is granted the waiver.

• Snow Days 1-7: Will be made up in June, bringing the last day of school to June 30
• Snow Day 8: Will be made up as an early release day on Good Friday.
• Snow Days 9-11: Effects only the middle schools and high schools. School will be held on March 14, 21, and 28. All three days will have an early release. Middle school students will attend class on March 14 and the high school will have school on all three Saturdays listed.
• Future Snow Days: If school is canceled due to the weather, the day will be made up on the earliest available Saturday.