Schools Ensure 180 Days

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By John Burton
In a season that seems as if each week brings at least another snow day for students, school officials are looking at ways to make up days lost to inclement weather.
Schools need to meet the state-required 180 days of instruction. Many included only two snow days in their calendars but have taken four.
Officials have been looking at such remedies as extending the school year and shortening planned vacations.
In the Red Bank Regional High School District, which has had two snow in its calendar but has used four days, the Feb. 14 vacation day was canceled and students went to school during the President’s Day weekend. School will also be open April 21, Easter Monday. Any additional days needed to make up, will be tacked on in June, according to Marianne Kligman, the school’s community information coordinator.
In Little Silver, the district has two days so far to make up because of bad weather and will be conducting classes on April 14, which had been an off day at the start of spring break, and on June 19, according to superintendent’s office.
The Red Bank District had factored in two snow days for its annual calendar. But with four days lost to the weather, the district has yet to decide how best to make up those days.
Like other districts, Fair Haven had built into its calendar two days for closing for snow and weather. The district must make up two days, one of which was taken care of on Feb. 10. The district also will extend the school year one more day in June, according to Nelson Ribon, district superintendent of schools.
After using its two snow days, Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School District already made up one of the remaining days by having classes on Feb. 11. The school board likely will decide how to make up the other day at its meeting this week, Superintendent Peter Righi said.
The Rumson School District currently doesn’t have to make up any days; it relied on delayed openings instead of closing for a day. If there are additional closings for snow, the district will shorten its spring break, according to the superintendent’s office.
In Monmouth Beach, where three snow days were included in the school-year calendar, the district used four and has one to make up. There will be a half-day for students on Friday, March 14. That day was intended as a full-day, in-service training day for faculty, but now students will attend until 12:30 p.m. and the remainder of the day will be for training, Superintendent Michael Ettore said.
The Highlands School District is looking to extend the school year by two days to make up for the days lost to snow. That plan, however, is tentative until the district’s Board of Education meets later this week to discuss the plan, said Ralph Barth, assistant to the superintendent. The district school closed for five days for weather so far this winter.
Henry Hudson Regional High School students have had five snow days so far but only planned for three in the school calendar. The remaining two days will be made up at the end of the school year in June, according to the superintendent’s office.
While the state requires the school year to be 180 days of instruction, the Colts Neck School District plans each year for 181 days, plus plans for three snow days for a total of four extra days. The district has closed schools five times for snow. The remaining snow day was made up when the district held classes on Monday, President’s Day, according to the superintendent’s office.
In Holmdel, where the district had three days factored into its calendar for snow days, six have been used.  Students are expected to attend school on Friday, April 11; Monday, April 14; and Wednesday, April 16 to make up for those days. The district will be closed April 15 for Passover, and Thursday and Friday, April 17-18, for the Easter weekend.
The Oceanport Board of Education is expected on Wednesday, Feb. 26, to discuss how to make up the five days schools in the district used as snow days. The school-year calendar did not include snow days, according to the superintendent’s office.
The Middletown School District built three snow days into its calendar but has used six. The plan calls for the school year to be extended in June. If a fourth day is needed, schools will be open on Easter Monday, April 21, according to the district’s business office.
Students at Shore Regional High School have had five snow days this season. The calendar included two days for inclement weather. Students will attend class for a half-day on March 14, originally intended as a full day off for staff development. The remaining two days will be added on in June, which will push back graduation until June 24, according to the high school office.
The Shrewsbury School District has two snow days to make up. The Board of Education has yet to make its determination as to how best to handle it, according to the superintendent’s office.
In Atlantic Highlands, the school district will make up the two days it needs to for snow closings by adding days at the end of the school year. The district had allocated three snow days into its school calendar.