Huntington Board Cancels February Break

The Huntington Board of Education voted unanimously Monday night to cancel the February break to make up the classroom time lost to Hurricane Sandy.

The district will just meet the state mandated 180 days, meaning, Superintendent James W. Polansky said, that there are no spare days left should the school have to cancel classes for other emergencies, such as snow.

"The problem is that winter is coming," Polansky said. "If we have to close, that would require us to come back to the table to discuss" more calendar changes.

Classes were canceled for nine days because of the Oct. 29 hurricane and nor'easter that hit the following week. With the district already scheduling 182 days, the board voted to reinstate seven days previously marked for time off, bringing the calendar to the minimum.

Though it is possible that the state could grant a waiver, Polansky said the state had made clear districts should first give up vacation time.

Trustee Jennifer Hebert said parents had asked if classes could be scheduled for Saturdays or the school days extended to make up for lost time. But, she said, state rules wouldn't permit scheduling around the 180-day minimum.

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