Dear Parents, Students, and Staff,

The State Education Department requires schools to be open for a minimum of 180 days of instruction.  The 2012-13 school calendar was constructed with 182 school days plus 2 Superintendent Conference Days.  During Hurricane Sandy our schools were closed for 7 days, thus creating a need to recoup lost instructional days.

At its January 8, 2013 School Board meeting, the Board of Education made the following adjustments to the 2012-13 school year calendar to recover meaningful instructional time for students and staff:

• Friday, February 15, 2013 will be a regular day of instruction; and
• During the scheduled Midterm Exam Week in January our schools will now be conducting classes instead of the traditional exam week.  A limited number of Regents and final examinations for semester courses will be administered during this time.  Those students taking a Regents exam will be excused from classes while the exam is in session.  Final exams for semester courses will be held in class.  All students will report to school for regular days of instruction on January 22, 23 and 24.  Students will not report to school on Friday, January 25 which will be a rating day.

In the event of future school closings, make-up days will be scheduled as follows:

• In the event that one additional make-up day is needed as a result of a school closing prior to the February recess the make-up day will be Wednesday, February 20.  In the event that two make-up days are needed the make-up days will be Tuesday, February 19 and Wednesday, February 20.  In the event that three make-up days are needed the days will be Monday, February 18, Tuesday, February 19 and Wednesday, February 20.  Thursday and Friday are already scheduled as “session days.”  President's Day may be scheduled as a day of session, which is why the District is reserving it as a potential snow make-up day.  Our schools are already open on Thursday, February 21 and Friday, February 22.
• In the case of the need for additional make-up days following the February Recess but prior to the Spring Recess make-up days will be scheduled from the Spring Recess beginning with non-religious days first.  The first make-up day will be scheduled for Monday, March 25.  If needed, additional make-up days will be scheduled in the following order (1) Tuesday, March 26 (2) Wednesday, March 27 (3) Thursday, March 28 and (4) Friday, March 29.  We recognize that these four days may be days of religious observance for some; however, we have been advised that school many be scheduled on these days if necessary to meet the legal requirement of 180 session days.

We fully understand that many of you have already made travel plans during the February break, and we regret that those plans are now being interrupted due to the storm and its aftermath.  Since the days recovered are considered regular school days, the attendance policy will be followed.  Students who are absent for vacation reasons will be marked “Unexcused” from school.

Sincerely,

Bill Heidenreich, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools