St. Mary’s County Public Schools (SMCPS) will likely be open on President’s Day as a snow make-up day. School Superintendent Dr. Michael Martirano made the recommendation to the school board Wednesday evening at the end of a budget public hearing. The school board will vote on the request at their February 12 meeting. But judging from the positive reaction from all of the members it is expected to pass.
The school system was left with limited options after the seventh day off this winter occurred last week. The system has five built-in weather days plus an optional sixth off day (May 2 which will now also be a school day). State law and the system’s negotiations with their employee bargaining units requires there to be 180 days of school each year.
The options available include, in addition to the President’s Day holiday, using a day during the scheduled spring break or adding a day at the end of the year. Martirano said he had resisted using either of those options because of problems they cause for parents. He said e-mails and tweets he has received overwhelming support using President’s Day as a make-up day.
Board member Cathy Allen noted that they had encouraged parents to use the spring break for holidays instead of pulling their children out of school at other times. She said many had reservations that would be difficult to break.
Martirano has also proposed making up the lost President’s Day holiday for 12-month employees, which is part of their negotiated agreement, but giving them an alternate day off at the beginning of the spring break on April 17. He said he ran the idea by the employees, who concurred.
Martirano cautioned the obvious: the groundhog saw his shadow and winter is far from over, so there could be the possibility of more days off. He said the last day of school for children is Thursday. June 12. For an eighth day off he said the school year could be extended to that Friday with teachers reporting on the following Monday for their last day.
The school board’s scheduled February 12 meeting begins at 9 a.m. and the school calendar adjustments will be on their agenda for a vote.
