Schools
UPDATE: School Board Votes on Final Day of School For District 86 Students
The school board voted on Monday on when the last day of school should be within Hinsdale Township High School District 86.
The final day of school this year for Hinsdale Township High School District 86 students will be June 6, according to an e-mail from Superintendent Bruce Law Tuesday morning.
The school board on Monday voted to keep the final day of school this year as is after school officials had proposed moving it back to June 12 to make up for four cancellations this past year due to extreme weather conditions.
Below is the e-mail sent by Law Tuesday morning:
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Dear Hinsdale Community,
As you are aware, Hinsdale Township High School District 86 lost four days of school due to the extreme weather conditions we have experienced in the region. There has been much discussion in our schools and in the community about what to do about those four lost instructional days.
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At our regularly-scheduled meeting last night, the Board of Education voted unanimously to keep Friday, June 6, 2014 as the last student attendance day for the 2013-2014 school year. Faculty and staff members may be asked to work past June 6.
The Board of Education also directed District administrators and teachers to work together to explore the best ways to make up as much of the four days of instruction time lost as possible, noting that the harshness of this year’s winter should give us no reason to make an exception to fulfilling our commitment to educational excellence.
With one exception, due to extraordinary circumstances, all our feeder elementary districts are extending their school year and using emergency days for days lost to weather.
Please note that the State of Illinois mandates that students be in school a minimum of 176 days and requires that districts build five emergency days into their schedules to be used in the event school has to be cancelled due to weather. Historically, as part of our commitment to educational excellence, District 86 has maintained a calendar that requires students to be in school a minimum of 181 days. Over the course of a student’s high school career, these five additional days equate to an additional month of instruction.
Working within the Board’s parameters, I will continue to communicate with you to determine if and how we can restore the instructional time lost due to extreme winter weather. In the meantime, on behalf of the District 86 Board and administration, I thank you for your support of our students and schools.
Sincerely,
Bruce Law, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Hinsdale Township High School District 86
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ORIGINAL: A Hinsdale Central High School student has set up an online petition, which is requesting the District 86 school board not extend the last day of school until June 12, according to the The Doings Clarendon Hills.
As of Monday afternoon, the online petition had over 1,300 supporters. The Hinsdale Township High School District 86 is expected to discuss and vote on when the final day of school should be during its Monday night meeting.
The online petition was posted by Hinsdale Central junior Melissa Vranicar, according to The Doings Clarendon Hills.
Vranicar, in the petition, is requesting the school board not extend the school year until June 12. She writes: "The State of Illinois only requires students to be in school for 176 days. District 86 has us attending school for 185. We are already over the state requirement so no funding for the school would be lost if school was only in session 181 days this year."
In her petition, Vranicar goes on to write that teachers "have already adjusted their curriculums and made up the work that was missed."
School officials say they need to find ways to make up for four snow days taken during the school year. Superintendent Bruce Law brought the recommendation before the board to name June 12 as the last day of school.
In a recent meeting, school board member Jennifer Planso said parents have been expressing concerns over the late end date potentially affecting vacations and other summer activities, according to the Chicago Tribune.
The Chicago Tribune reports the school board talked about using non-attendance days and spring break days in place to make up for the snow days though board President Claudia Manley said parents typically have just as many plans set for spring break.
Read more on the Chicago Tribune.
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