By Alice Waugh
Because the Lincoln Public Schools have used up their allotted five snow days for 2014-15, there will be a half-day of school on Good Friday (April 3) if another day of school has to be canceled due to bad weather.
Superintendent of Schools Becky McFall surveyed parents, teachers and staff about how the schools should meet the 180-day annual requirement if another day (or more) of school has to be cancelled. Given various options, 71 percent of respondents said Good Friday should be used first and 17 percent preferred April 25 as the first extra day to be used. Based on those survey results, the School Committee on March 5 decided, based on McFall’s recommendation, that any additional snow days will be made up in the following order: a half-day on Good Friday, a half-day on June 25 and a full day on Friday, April 24 (the last day of spring vacation).
The last day of school is currently scheduled for Wednesday, June 24.
Lincoln has never had to cancel school on more than five days in a year. This year, however, snow days came in quick succession due to the series of winter storms, and Lincoln used its fifth snow day on February 10. Yet another major storm hit the area on February 14-15, but this was the weekend beginning February vacation for most school districts.
In a letter to parents, McFall noted that extending Wednesdays (which are half-days) would not help because they already count as school days, and that school cannot be held on state or federal holidays, including Patriots Day (Monday, April 20). Also, the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has not given approval for programs where students work virtually on snow days, or for students to complete work in a “blizzard bag,” though there are pilot programs taking place in some districts, she noted.
“Let’s hope that this was merely an exercise of planning and that we will not have additional snow days this month that would require the addition of school days,” McFall said in her letter.