Sometime earlier this winter, we started seeing news articles and hearing reports that the snow we’d been experiencing might threaten to extend the school year into the summer.
That was in January.
Spring started today, March 20. Yet last Sunday night into Monday, a snowstorm caused dangerous travel even along main thoroughfares in Worcester County, dangerous enough to close schools for the ninth day.
So here we are on the cusp of spring, and snow is an unlikely part of our conversation.
On Tuesday, with the recommendation from the Superintendent of Schools, the County School Board voted unanimously to turn March 28 into a half day for students.
Superintendent Dr. Jerry Wilson said that without schedule modifications, the school year could “extend” well into the third week of June. If the State Superintendent of Schools oks Worcester’s request to waive three days from the 180-day school requirement, the school system would only extend one day to June 13.
But, all of this depends of course on two main factors. One, the State Superintendent approves Worcester’s three-day waiver request. And perhaps the most important, that it shouldn’t snow hard enough to close schools for the rest of this school year.
So, while we all know that some of our children pray for snow and days off; some wear their pajamas inside out thinking that induces snow, but now it’s time to hope for warm weather without snow. Because that is going to get us done at an appropriate time in June. And we say “good job” to the School Board and Superintendent Wilson for putting the modifications in motion.
Oh, and to put things in perspective a little bit. Fauquier County Public Schools in Northern Virgina … 17 days have to be made up due to weather.
That’s a lot of schedule modifications to do.
That was in January.
Spring started today, March 20. Yet last Sunday night into Monday, a snowstorm caused dangerous travel even along main thoroughfares in Worcester County, dangerous enough to close schools for the ninth day.
So here we are on the cusp of spring, and snow is an unlikely part of our conversation.
On Tuesday, with the recommendation from the Superintendent of Schools, the County School Board voted unanimously to turn March 28 into a half day for students.
Superintendent Dr. Jerry Wilson said that without schedule modifications, the school year could “extend” well into the third week of June. If the State Superintendent of Schools oks Worcester’s request to waive three days from the 180-day school requirement, the school system would only extend one day to June 13.
But, all of this depends of course on two main factors. One, the State Superintendent approves Worcester’s three-day waiver request. And perhaps the most important, that it shouldn’t snow hard enough to close schools for the rest of this school year.
So, while we all know that some of our children pray for snow and days off; some wear their pajamas inside out thinking that induces snow, but now it’s time to hope for warm weather without snow. Because that is going to get us done at an appropriate time in June. And we say “good job” to the School Board and Superintendent Wilson for putting the modifications in motion.
Oh, and to put things in perspective a little bit. Fauquier County Public Schools in Northern Virgina … 17 days have to be made up due to weather.
That’s a lot of schedule modifications to do.