School Calendar Amended

By Eliza Hallabeck

After multiple deliberations, the Board of Education amended the 2011-12 school calendar during its meeting on Tuesday, January 25.

BOE Vice Chair Laura Roche made the motion to change the calendar to reflect any possible school cancellations by first adding an instructional day on June 22, then removing the 183rd and 182nd instructional day from the calendar and making it a teacher development day, and, “any subsequent snow days will be removed from April vacation.”

According to Superintendent Janet Robinson at previous board meetings, teachers in the district are contracted to work a minimum of 183 days in a school year.

The change to the calendar was passed in a 4-3 vote, with Ms Roche, BOE Chair Debbie Leidlein, BOE Secretary Cody McCubbin, and member John Vouros approving the motion. 

Following Tropical Storm Irene’s impact on Newtown at the start of the school year, the Board of Education voted to have three of the four lost days made up during the week that was scheduled for February break. The break is now scheduled for February 20 and 21, and students will attend school February 22, 23, and 24. The last of the four lost days was moved to June 14, moving the last day of school one day.

After the October storm, the last day of school was pushed back again to June 21.

At Tuesday’s meeting, multiple members said there was no way to settle the situation and make everyone the calendar will effect happy.

“I think that it is time that we make a decision on how we are going to address these days,” said Ms Leidlein.

BOE member William Hart said having ten missed school days already altering the calendar is an extraordinary situation.

“This is just off the charts,” he said.

Following the decision to amend the calendar, Ms Leidlein also directed Superintendent of Schools Janet Robinson to e-mail parents through the school district’s messenger service about the change.