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Local Districts Mull Options, Await Decision on 180-Day School Year Requirement

Districts to make decisions on school calendar.

Word is spreading about possible legislation allowing school districts to reduce the school year no more than 10 days due to Hurricane Sandy keeping kids at home. In the meantime, most local school districts still have plans to keep kids in class for the full 180-day school year.

Mount Sinai School district decided to take one day of vacation away from students over Thanksgiving break, opening up for a full day of classes next Wednesday.

“We are certainly in a tough position,” said Superintendent of Schools Enrico Crocetti in an email sent to parents in the district. “Our prime directive is to ensure the best quality education for our students.”

He added “maintaining the minimum of 180 instructional days is of paramount importance.”

In that district the calendar year provided four snow days but Mt. Sinai had already been closed seven days (two of which were conference days.) That left the district one day short, which they will make up with the reduced holiday break next week.

“If we are required to take more inclement weather days they will be coming off of our March break,” Crocetti said in his announcement.

Rocky Point Superintendent Michael Ring said in an email to Patch that the district is "still reviewing the situation and have not made a determination at this time."

Miller Place announced on its website that the 2012-13 school calendar "may need" to be revised by adding school days back. Those days could come from any combination of the February or March 2013 vacation weeks but the December vacation week will not be effected.

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Janet May 22, 2013 at 04:52 pm
Bravo MP Majority, very well said.Teachers are the most protected job on the planet. Now if theyRead More could only earn that money by producing results in the classrooms like they used to. But I also blame the absent NO vote. They need to be sent a message-we need a majority no vote but that will never happen. Glad I am out of here in 2 years. Can't imagine trying to live here and pay these taxes on social security and my 401K that tanked in 2008 while I was making up the teachers loss on their pension and paying my health insurance & theirs at the same time. So boo hoo teachers you have to spend money on the kids while I spend money on you.
MP Majority May 17, 2013 at 01:41 pm
Spoken like a true teacher. Did you know that the average school teacher is only paying 15% of theRead More actual cost of health care premiums for themselves and their families, when Medical healthcare insurance premiums are rising at an alarming 17% per annum? Do you realize that teachers are paid an additional stipend if they work more than 3 consecutive periods in a day? Are you aware that teacher pensions were protected during the stock market crash of 2008, when the average person's 401K was totally at risk? Perhaps if teachers realized how good they have it - look at the BIG picture and outside of their bubble - then they would complain less. Oh and yes, we need our loftily-paid Administrators to kick in some of the salaries, to help pay for stuff. Hard to believe the school districts' mantras that "it's all for the kids".