BROOKINGS – Members of the Brookings School Board approved a plan on how students will make up the 10 days of school they’ve missed so far during the 2018-2019 school year.
As approved, starting March 27, schools will cease to have their early releases on Wednesdays, making those days just like any other school day. While this removes school improvement planning time for staff, it would add approximately 1.5 days to the school calendar.
The plan also adds seven days to the end of the school year for the students. The original final school day of May 21 for the students will become a full day. The new final day of school will be May 31 with a noon release.
High school seniors will still graduate May 26 and not have to come back to school for those remaining few days.
There would be four additional days for staff to be used for professional development, with a flexible schedule to be crafted for school board consideration at the April 8 school board meeting.
Even if there are more snow days, this plan will hold. The plan was drafted by the administrative team, according to Brookings School District Superintendent Klint Willert, and it meets student-teacher contact time requirements.
Willert said that he sought feedback from area ministry groups since many churches have programs set for that night.
“Overwhelmingly, I received feedback that they would be willing to accommodate and support our students going full days on Wednesdays,” Willert said.
Of course, this plan only addresses what will happen to the students as they seek to make up those lost school days. A separate plan is needed for staff, who have different sets of requirements to work around.
“Tonight is really focused on the students, and then as we look to our April meeting, I would envision potentially bringing forward some sort of agreement working collectively with the (Brookings Education Association) relative to staff impact as it helps bring context for staff,” Willert said.
Of the 10 missed school days so far in the 2018-2019 school year, seven of those days were cancelled due to snow, two were due to severe cold, and one was due to the investigation of a threat at a school.
The plan was approved 4-0, with board member Deb DeBates absent from the meeting.
Contact Eric Sandbulte at esandbulte@brookingsregister.com.
