LEWISTON — The School Committee gave initial approval Monday to allow the district to send students home two hours early in case of bad weather.
“Sometimes the timing of the storms puts us in a difficult situation with calling things off or coming in,” Superintendent Jake Langlais wrote in a memo. “There are many logistics to consider from nutrition, transportation, timing of moving pieces, cleanup, and safe transitions home for all. Having early release as a tool will help us navigate the winter without creating too many makeup days at the end of the school year.”
Langlais said families would be notified of an early-release day the night before. Those who choose to keep their child home due to the weather and notify the school will typically receive an excused absence, he added.
All after-school activities involving transportation would be canceled. Sports competitions and other events would be decided on a case-by-case basis.
Of the more than 1,200 parents, staff and students who responded to a survey about the proposed change, over 95% said they would support the measure.
The School Committee approved a first reading of the policy in a 6-2 vote, with Ward 3 representative Elizabeth Eames and Ward 7 representative Paul Beauparlant voting in opposition. Both expressed concerns about student safety.
Those who voted “no” in the community survey were asked to explain their concerns.
“Having to leave work early to accommodate early release is not acceptable,” one person wrote. “It’s much easier and safer for students to just take the entire day as a snow day. Why force them to travel when the weather is bad?”
“(I) would prefer to have one- or two-hour delays rather than early release,” another wrote. “Half-day school days significantly impact pull-out instruction at the elementary level.”
Additionally, if the school district uses more snow days than planned, school days may be made up by “conducting classes on the weekend, rescheduling or shortening scheduled vacation periods, or postponing the close of the school year, as determined by the School Committee,” according to the revised policy.
The revised policy requires one more vote before it can be implemented.
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