Parents Pleased School Spring Break Kept Intact [Update]

Public schools in Westport will keep intact the four days for spring break in April, the town’s education bosses decided Monday, easing concerns that the period would be used to make up for teaching days lost through snow closures.

Instead, children will be required to attend school on Monday, Feb. 28, which had been scheduled as a staff development day. The number of teaching days in the Westport schools calendar will also be reduced to 181 from 182.

The wrangling over dates comes after extreme wintry weather forced schools to close for five days in the first five weeks of the year. The administration had built three possible snow days into the academic schedule, forcing them find an extra two days to make up.

At a regular meeting at Staples High School on Monday evening, Board of Education members locked horns for more than 90 minutes over where to find the extra days and eight members of the public stood up to contribute their views. The motion for the calendar adjustment was finally passed by four votes to three.

"I am relieved because we had already made plans to be with family as it’s Passover week,’’ said Amy Swanson, who has two sons at Long Lots Elementary and Staples. "Also the kids need a break. February to June is a long time in school.’’

Kathy Sharp, president of Westport Education Association, said at the meeting  that 430 members of the teachers’ union responded to a survey about the problem.

"It indicates how big an issue this is for teachers,’’ she said. Trimming the April break was the least popular option, she added.

BOE Chairman Don O’Day said the board had received 80 e-mails on the subject from those who would be affected by the outcome.

The decision means schools in the district will be closed Monday, April 18 through Thursday, April 21, in line with the current calendar.  April 22, which is Good Friday, was not under consideration for change. On this timetable, high school graduation will take place Wednesday June 22.

If further poor weather prompts Westport Superintendent of Schools Elliott Landon to close schools again, the number of teaching days will be reduced to 180, which is the minimum required by state law. 

Additional snow days would extend the school calendar to June 23 and June 24 . Only after those days had been used, would April break be trimmed, the Board of Education decided.

Amy Hulina, who has two children at Kings Highway Elementary and one at Coleytown Middle School said she was sympathetic to the board members for having to make a tough decision. "There’s not a lot you can do about Mother Nature in years like this.’’

"I’m grateful that they’ve left the break intact,’’ she added. "But I also think it’s important that the schools can get through the curriculum, especially for the high school students.’’

The slimming of the academic year will not affect teachers, who are under contract to be at work for 188 days, Landon said at the meeting.

In Westport, 5,800 children are enrolled in schools K-12 and 900 people are employed by the education board.