Decision Delayed Again on Mineola 2012-13 School Calendar

The again of the 2012-13 school calendar, citing the the still-as-of-yet unannounced movement of next year’s Regents week.

“I can’t imagine them changing Regents week without changing the law that says you can start or end,” Superintendent Dr. Michael Nagler said at the January 19 meeting of the board of education at the . “Even taking the February break from those districts that have 180, they’re still tight.”

The state requires 180 days of classes and Mineola has 182 days per its teachers contract. If the number of class days falls below 180, the district loses a portion of state aid.

According to the state, the 180 days must fall between Labor Day and the last day of Regents exams, which is in flux as superintendents have been informed that Regents week has been moved up by at least three days in 2013.

“If they don’t change the law, we’re going to have a problem fitting 180 days, let alone fitting our 182,” Dr. Nagler said, explaining that the real problem comes for a district that only has 180 days in a calendar, if a snow day occurs, that day must be made up and the children have to attend for aid not to be lost.

“So when you have days that like are after school is over and you need them as part of your 180, the attendance has to be there,” he said.

Mineola’s original calendar was modified with and holding a superintendent’s conference day on election day. Students had off on May 24, the Friday before Memorial Day, which was also designated as the snow makeup day.

“I really don’t know what educational activities we would do during those two days, particularly at the ,” Nagler said of potential June class days which would occur following Regents if the district needed them in order to reach the contracted 182 days.

A second draft presented at the January 19 meeting had classes starting after Labor Day, removing May 24 as an off day, thereby having no days designated as snow days.

The superintendent said that the district would still need to make up one day, floating the possibility of having a half day of school for elementary students on election day, since the votes only take place in elementary buildings, thereby giving the and high schools a full day and moving parent teacher conferences to that same afternoon to eliminate one of the half-days.

Board President Christine Napolitano cited her discomfort with people coming into the elementary buildings to vote while children are present and any parking problems which may ensue.

The East Williston School District has reportedly already adopted a calendar where students have class on election day and on June 24.

“Because we have 182, if attendance isn’t great, we don’t get penalized for it because we’re still within our 180 days,” Dr. Nagler said in response to concerns about attendance after Regents exams.

However, the superintendent pointed out that there is “absolutely ” without touching the February break. “Without putting any snow makeup days, we’re conceding those days right from the start,” Dr. Nagler said of the extra two days in the teachers’ contract. “There’s no way to make them up.”

Students could be given the day off on the Friday preceding President’s Day as well as that Monday – which is a Federal holiday – on the February break to make up the days, but said that the board can wait until the state gives notice on when Regents week will begin.

Dr. Nagler thought it was better to build a snow day into the calendar and get the two days in before Labor Day, saying “I think it’s much wiser to build a calendar with a little flexibility and if they change the Regents dates we would adjust accordingly.”

The board agreed to delay a decision until the February 16 meeting.

“I wouldn’t wait longer than February 16, but I don’t think that waiting until February 16 is a problem,” Dr. Nagler said.