Those Stonington Public School community members waiting to make their spring break plans should feel a little better about buying those plane tickets, letting the relatives know they're coming or reserving the hotel room.
Spring break is safe unless there are more than nine snow days.
The Stonington Board of Education decided at their December meeting that if any make up snow days are needed the days will be made up first on June 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 24, 25, 26 and 27. If additional make up snow days are needed only then would days possibly be taken from April Vacation.
“Spring break would be the very last thing to be considered,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Van Riley said, adding that he hoped there would not be more than nine snow days, but since he was new to the state he didn’t know.
During the 2011-2012 academic year last-minute changes to the school calendar resulted in confusion and frustration, so when Hurricane Sandy forced five days of school closings many in the community worried about how those days would be made up.
At their November Board of Education meeting the school board made several changes to the academic calendar in order to make up for the five school days lost due to Hurricane Sandy. Stonington Public School students made up one day by attending school on November 6, Election Day. The four remaining days will be made up by:
- Scheduling school on February 19. Originally, February 19 was a day off that would have given students a four-day weekend for President’s Day.
- Scheduling school on March 28. This eliminates a staff development day and leaves students with a three-day weekend that includes Good Friday.
- Scheduling school on June 13 and June 14. This extends the end of the school year by two days.
- Additional changes include scheduling staff development days on June 17 and June 18.
The changes were recommendations from Riley.
At that meeting the school board said they would revisit the issue in December to see if there had been any snow days. So, far there has not been.
While spring break seems a little safer, the graduation date will be undecided until April 1. The need to make up for snow days could delay the date of graduation.
“We’ll have to wait and see about graduation,” Riley said.
The school year cannot go past June 30.
