Make-Up Days Set By BOE: Spring Break a Bit Shorter for Mon

By J. Miles Layton, The Dominion Post, Morgantown, W.Va.

Feb. 27–Spring break will start a little later for students, staff and teachers in Monongalia County schools this semester.

At Tuesday’s meeting, the Monongalia County Board of Education approved a plan to turn March 21, which falls on Good Friday, from a scheduled holiday for students into a school day. Teachers and staff, who were to work “outside the school environment,” will now be with their students in the classrooms and at school. Typically, that Friday is the beginning of spring break. This year, spring break will run from March 24-28 and coincide with WVU’s break.

The plan also changed June 4-6 from student holidays into school days. June 9 had been scheduled as an “outside the school environment” day for teachers and staff, but will now be a teacher workday.

Superintendent Frank Devono said the reason for the change was because students have missed four school days so far this year because of snow. Monongalia County schools were closed Dec. 5-6, Jan. 7 and Feb. 2 due to inclement weather. State law requires the district to make up the days before the last day of school — June 6. For students, the school year is 180 days.

With snow in the forecast, Devono said, any additional day of school missed because of winter weather will not be made up. Teachers will have to adjust their lesson plans to accommodate any more time lost. The state does not penalize school districts if they are unable to make up the lost time.

In other business, Nancy Napolillo, Monongalia County Schools secondary education and technology director, introduced plans for a “Freshmen Academy” based on research conducted at both Monongalia high schools for the board. The research discovered that 30 percent of freshmen fail a class their first semester in high school and there is a 16 percent absentee rate. Napolillo said a Freshmen Academy would help ease new students’ move into high school.

The administration and the board will be reviewing these plans in the months ahead.

Board President Nancy Walker expressed her support for the measure and said, “This is something I’ve been looking for for a long time.”

The board also renewed a $50,000 a year, five-year lease with Mylan Park Foundation for the use of Mylan Park until 2013. Mylan Park is used for sporting events and other activities.

There was a moment of silence for Helen Hancock Spotte, a former teacher, who died Feb. 14. In 1973, Hancock was Monongalia County’s Teacher of the Year.

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