New Canaan students planning to enjoy a day off from school Friday, Feb. 18, should instead have their notebooks and textbooks at the ready.
After losing six school days to wintry weather, the Board of Education voted Monday to make Feb. 18 a school day for all students. The board also plans to reduce the school year by two days in the event classes are canceled twice more by snow.
The changes give New Canaan Schools four days to use before cutting into spring break -- April 18 to 21. (There is still one snow day left in the school calendar.) Board members voted 6-1 for the change. Jenny McMahon cast the only no vote.
Feb. 18 was supposed to be a professional development day for teachers. Superintendent of Schools David Abbey said none of the changes would appeal to families who may already have plans for upcoming breaks. But its an option to prevent classes from ending after the third full week of June.
I dont think any of these are terrific options, Abbey said. But looking at Feb. 18 makes sense in a world of less than perfect choices.
Board member Alison Bedula said it would be better to use Feb. 18 and shave the two extra days off the school calendar than to even think about going deeper into June. Schedule-wise, a lot of parents have signed their kids up for camps, Bedula said.
Jim Kucharczyk initially suggested extending the school year past June 24 because of discontent when New Canaan Schools held classes during spring break several years ago. My recollection of that experience is that it left nobody happy, he said. Kucharczyk later agreed with other board members to try to keep the school year from ending after June 24. Board policy prevents New Canaan schools from having classes after the third full week of June.
State rules mandate that districts cannot have classes after June 30 or on weekends, Abbey said.
More information on the board's vote will be posted on the New Canaan Public Schools' website.
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