Thanks to construction, Mother Nature and multiple power outages, students at Oxford Middle School and Leonard Elementary will be getting to attend some extra school days at the end of this academic year.
‘Yes, we do have some make-up days,? said Karen Eckert, director of curriculum for the district, ‘unfortunately now we can no longer cover with some other waivers that the state gave us.?
Legislation is currently being considered in Congress that would ‘forgive? the school district of the days caused by the ice storm power outages, but nothing has been decided yet.
‘It puts us in a tough situation,? explained Eckert. ‘We have to plan for the extra days, but could end up not needing them.?
For now though the new calendar has the middle school making up one half-day on Monday, June 16 and Leonard Elementary making up two half-days on Monday, June 16 and Tuesday, June 17. More days will be added if either building is closed for any reason.
So far this year, the middle school has been closed for seven total days.
Two days were in March, including one for the gas main break caused by the construction at the school; four days due to last month’s ice storms which caused power outages countywide on April 4, 7, 8 and 9; and one day shortly after the Easter break in April due to no water, which was caused by the county flushing the drains the night before
Leonard Elementary has been closed for eight days total ? five days due to the April ice storms, Leonard was closed one day more than the other schools; one snow day in March with the rest of the district; and now two days this past week due to a power outage caused by the tornadoes.
Both schools needed to make up days in attendance, but not hours in session; therefore, the administration chose to hold half-days at the end of the year.
‘The middle school and Leonard are letting all their parents know what the new calendar looks like,? said Eckert.
Parents will be notified as soon as possible if legislation passes allowing for ‘forgiveness? of the April ice storms.