
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, February 10, 1994                   TAG: 9402100332
SECTION: NEIGHBORS                    PAGE: W-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: CHARLES STEBBINS STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NEW CASTLE                                LENGTH: Medium

CRAIG STUDENTS TO GET LONGER DAYS, SHORTER BREAK

Craig County students will be going to school longer each day and give up part of the spring break to make up for a record loss of 14 days because of bad weather.

School board members, after a long discussion Tuesday, decided to extend the school day 10 minutes beginning Monday to make up some of the time lost during the snowy, icy and zero temperatures during January.

Ten minutes longer each day for the remainder of the academic year would gain about three days. But that is based on no other days being lost.

With 14 days already gone and the possibility of losing more time before winter is over, school board members fear that schools might have to remain in session past the scheduled June 11 closing.

The 14 days missed so far is not quite as bad as it sounds, though, explained Superintendent Dallas Helems. He said the Craig school day is routinely about 20 minutes longer than the state Board of Education requires. The extra 20 minutes give "cushion time" that can be used in emergencies such as the current loss.

The schools accumulate about 60 hours of class time during the whole year because of the 20 minutes, Helems said.

The board also said classes will be held on teacher work days and that two days must be taken from the spring break.

Helems recommended this method of making up days, adding the situation will need to studied again in March.

Helems is not optimistic that the worst is over.

Considering weather in Craig County in past Februarys, he said, it is possible that schools might be snowed out for up to five more days. Traditionally, February is a snowy month in Craig, he said.

Board members also considered holding classes on Saturday, eliminating the spring break and keeping schools open beyond June 11.

The state has mandated that schools throughout the state must hold at least 180 days of classes. Schools cannot open until after Labor Day, a rule that many school officials oppose because it upsets the traditional school calendar of long mid-winter and spring breaks and an early June closing.

by CNB