BOE: Snow Days Could Cut Spring Break Short

Students might have to cut their Spring Breaks short if the district uses all allotted snow days, according to a calendar presented to the Cranford Board of Education at Monday night’s meeting.

The board had to adjust the calendar to make up for an extreme amount of snow days that were used in the beginning of the school year due to the October icestorm, said Superintendent of Schools Gayle Carrick.

In the new calendar, May 25 –which was originally not a school day – has been reinstated for classes.  Assuming there are no extra snow days, the district meets the 180 day requirement with the addition of the day.

As of now, Spring Break will be cut short starting April 13 and moving to the 12^th if necessary, if the school district requires the use of more snow days.

If a snow day is needed before Spring Break, it will come off the end of the vacation.

The concern is if there is an emergency after Spring Break, the district will not have any more snow days to use, which would possibly require students to come in for a school on a Saturday or after graduation.

“These are designated as emergency days,” Carrick said. “If we don’t need them, we won’t take them.” 

The date of Project Graduation cannot be moved. One board member suggested adding school days to the end of the year to make up for snow days taken during the year, but Board Attorney Anthony Sciarrillo said it might be a point of contention making students come back to school after graduation.

Carrick said she wrote to the State Department of Education requesting to alter the school year requirements in case the district cannot meet the 180 days before Project Graduation.

Board Member Mary Sudiak was worried that if the district requires snow days after Spring Break, there will be no wiggle room in the calendar to make up the missing days.

She suggested using the April days as necessary, but also to reserve one day toward the end of the year in case of emergency.

The board members considered making school mandatory on a national holiday, including a half-day on Good Friday, but Sciarrillo said under state law that teachers have the option to take off for a national holiday without penalization.

 “I would like flexibility and options to react without scrambling,” Carrick said.

Carrick said she will do whatever she can in her power to not cancel school for the rest of the year, including delayed openings.