No Snow Day Waivers Yet, State Education Commissioner Says

Snow day waivers from the state's 180-day school year requirement are "premature" right now, state Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester told school officials statewide on Thursday.

Dover-Sherborn and other school districts have expended the five snow days provided on their academic calendars, with winter far from over.

Some school districts have inquired about waivers, Chester told school superintendents and charter school leaders in a memo on Thursday.

However, "at this point in the school year it is premature to grant any waivers. There is still time for districts that have had to close for multiple days to adjust their calendars to ensure that our students do not lose out on valuable learning time," Chester said.

The options include: "cancel or shorten either their February or April vacations, convert scheduled professional development days into school days for students, hold school days on Saturday, keep school open on Good Friday, or add days later in June beyond the originally scheduled last day of school," Chester said.

"We will keep an eye on how the rest of the winter and the school year progress and will notify you if this guidance changes," he added.

However, state education officials have set up guidelines for handling this issue from now forward, he said.

Schools must make up all days missed from the start of school to March 31.

Days missed between April 1 and June 1 "must be made up to ensure a 180-day school year or at least until the district has reached its previously-scheduled 185th day, whichever comes first. If all five snow days have been used prior to this point, the district is not required to schedule additional school days," Chester said.

Days missed after June 1 need not be made up, he said.