Thanks To All The Snow, One District In Maine Is Extending The Length Of Their School Days
Here we are again, digging out from another powerful storm that has left businesses and schools closed. For some schools though, the amount of snow days has added up to a number they're not comfortable with. Typically in Maine, a snow day would be made up at the end of the school year, but in some districts, that could leave kids in the classroom until the end of June or early July.
So school district MSAD 44 in the Bethel/Newry area came up with a different idea. Extend the school days already left on the calendar by one hour. By the superintendents count, MSAD 44 will have to tack on an hour of time to 25 school days to make up for all the snow cancelations this year. By doing that, the school district will finish its year before the end of June.
The question is...should other school districts in Maine adopt this idea? The Bethel/Newry area is a lot smaller than other school districts, so would this be feasible in a bigger city with multiple schools? How are after school programs and child care affected by a lengthening of the school day? And does one extra hour leave teachers and students less energetic?
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