THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 28, 1996 TAG: 9602270121
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 18 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines
Students should go to school during two days of their spring break instead of attending classes on a Saturday and on the Memorial Day holiday to make up snow days.
At least that's what readers of The Beacon said in an unscientific Infoline poll taken over the weekend.
Nearly 600 of the 1,512 callers suggested that solution to the make-up day dilemma that has many parents, teachers and students unhappy.
Receiving 282 votes, the second highest number, was a proposal to leave the schedule as it is.
As it is, the make-up schedule for the five days lost to harsh winter weather is:
Feb. 19 - Presidents Day
March 23 - a Saturday
March 29 - a teachers' work day
April 8 - a parent-teacher conference day
May 27 - Memorial Day
But the School Board has asked Superintendent Timothy R. Jenney to review the schedule of make-up days. Jenney will gather information on the options available to the school system and make an administrative decision as early as this week.
Half of the 1,512 callers were parents. Students called in 385 times, teachers called 295 times and other people called 72 times.
The option to take two days of spring break was the most popular with every category of callers.
Getting the least number of votes - 117 - was the suggestion to take all four days from spring break. ILLUSTRATION: INFOLINE RESULTS
Callers were asked this question: When do you think Virginia
Beach City Public Schools students should make up the four remaining
days they missed because of snow?
They were asked to vote for one option. Here is a tally of
overall votes. (Not everyone who called stayed on the line to
vote.)
1. Keep existing plan (see related story) - 282 votes.
2. Eliminate only Memorial Day by taking one day from spring
break - 123 votes.
3. Eliminate only Memorial Day by adding a second Saturday - 245
votes.
4. Eliminate only Saturday by taking one day from spring break -
128 votes.
5. Eliminate Saturday and Memorial Day by taking two days from
spring break - 593 votes.
6. Take all four days from spring break - 117 votes.
by CNB