Starting next week, York County elementary and middle school students will spend 20 more minutes in school each day for the rest of the year to make up for seven school days lost to wintry weather.
York County School Division Superintendent Victor Shandor approved the plan Tuesday.
The plan, which also lengthens the school day for York River Academy, was “developed with the priorities of maximizing instructional time as well as protecting Spring Break and Memorial Day,” according to a post on the YCSD Facebook page.
The plan goes into effect Monday. It also converts half days on April 3 and May 8 to full days for all students, and converts a half day June 9 to a full day for all elementary and middle school students.
Other than the conversion of half days into full days, high school students will not have their school days extended as they are on track to meet the instructional hours required by state law.
The schools will modify daily schedules as needed to meet state course time requirements, according to the post. State law requires the school division calendar to feature a minimum of 180 school days or 990 hours of instructional time.
The new school hours are as follows:
- Queens Lake and Tabb middle schools: 8 a.m. to 3:05 p.m.
- Grafton and Yorktown middle schools: 8:05 a.m. to 3:10 p.m.
- York River Academy: 8:25 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
- Bethel Manor, Magruder, Mt. Vernon and Tabb elementary schools: 8:45 a.m. to 3:41 p.m.
- Coventry, Dare, Grafton Bethel, Seaford, Waller Mill and Yorktown elementary schools: 9 a.m. to 3:56 p.m.
If more snow delays or closures are needed this school year, YCSD will consider altering early dismissals on June 10 and 11. It may also have to hold school on Memorial Day.
“Recognizing that this is the second consecutive year that the YCSD calendar has been impacted by significant snow and ice conditions, we will review next year’s calendar and school schedules to determine what adjustments can be made to bank additional instructional time,” according to the post.
Williamsburg-James City County Schools announced a makeup plan last week that adds additional time to elementary school days for the remainder of the school year. Three scheduled early release days were converted into school days for all WJCC students.
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