ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, February 9, 1996 TAG: 9602090084
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
If the weather cooperates, Roanoke County students still could get a full week of spring break despite missing 12 days of school so far this winter.
School officials have developed a possible makeup plan to preserve the entire April 8-12 spring break - as many parents have requested - if the county doesn't miss more days.
The plan would add five minutes to the elementary school day and have all students attend school June 12, high school graduation day. June 11 had been scheduled as the final day.
The School Board voted Thursday night to approve the five-minute addition to the elementary school day for seven weeks to accumulate additional "banked time" - instructional time beyond the state minimum requirement of 51/2 hours a day, or 990 hours a year.
The time would be added only to the elementary school day because the middle and high school days already are longer than needed.
Assistant Superintendent James Gallion said the extra five minutes won't require any change in the time that children are picked up in the morning or arrive home in the afternoon.
There are five minutes of free time before elementary classes begin now, he said. That wait would be eliminated.
The board did not act on the proposal to use June 12 as a makeup day, choosing to wait to see if the county misses more days.
Several board members said they hope the entire spring break can be saved, but that will depend on whether schools are closed more days.
"I've heard from many people who don't want to give up spring break," Thomas Leggette said. He said he also would be reluctant to approve Saturday classes because of the Jewish Sabbath.
Under the plan for saving spring break, the county would use five "banked days," the maximum allowed unless it misses more than 15 days.
Under the makeup plan, students will go to school on April 5 and May 27, Memorial Day, which had been scheduled as days off. They also will attend four other days that had been scheduled either for parent-teacher conferences or for teacher workdays.
School officials said they plan to talk with parents about ways to keep schools open in bad weather next year - such as snow routes for buses -without sacrificing children's safety.
"We want to see if there might be creative ways to keep schools open," Superintendent Deanna Gordon said.
Board Chairman Jerry Canada agreed the county should study all possibilities, but he said safety has to be the main consideration. "We can't justify injury to any children to keep schools open," he said.
In Roanoke, which has missed 11 days, Superintendent Wayne Harris has proposed using three days of spring break as makeup days. Harris doesn't want to use banked time, because he prefers to make up all missed days.
But the city School Board has asked Harris to evaluate alternatives for making up the missed time without shortening the spring break. April 8 and 9 are paid holidays for school employees in Roanoke. Schools will be closed those days regardless of the decision on the rest of the week.
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