WEST MILFORD — Mother Nature has been wreaking havoc across New Jersey with multiple snow storms causing dangerous travel conditions and necessitating the closure of schools. On Tuesday night, the school board added Monday, April 21, and Thursday, June 26, to the calendar as school days. Only elementary students will attend the early dismissal June 26 school day.
The West Milford Township Public Schools have already used up all of the seven emergency closing days (commonly referred to as “snow days”) that were built-in to the 2013-2014 school year calendar...and more. In fact, the district has had to close West Milford High School and Macopin Middle School a total of eight days and the elementary schools nine days so far, in addition to early dismissals and delayed openings. And it’s only mid-February.
Despite the school closure on Tuesday, Feb. 18, the West Milford Board of Education held its scheduled workshop meeting in the evening. The board has already canceled two meetings so far this winter due to bad weather: one in December and one in January, which was rescheduled to the following week.
By New Jersey State Law, schools must be in session for a minimum of 180 days each year, with a minimum length of time of four hours (excluding lunch and recess) that constitutes an instructional day. The district’s 2013-2014 calendar notes the inclusion of the seven extra “emergency days” which would be removed later in the year if not used; that certainly wasn't the case this year. The calendar also notes that days would be taken from spring break and/or added on to the end of the school year as needed, which is the case this year.
All students will return from spring break one day early on April 21. The elementary students will add one day at the end of the year. Originally, spring break was scheduled from April 14 to 21, coinciding with Passover, which begins on April 14, and Easter, which is April 20 this year; June 25 was the last scheduled day of school for all students and staff.
“As everyone is keenly aware, snow has posed a significant challenge to us this year," said Superintendent James McLaughlin. "At this time our elementary students have exceeded our snow day allotment by two days and our secondary students by one day. There is an agenda item for special action tonight which provides for school to be in session for students PK-12 on the Monday following Easter, April 21, and for elementary students to attend an early dismissal session the day following high school graduation, Thursday, June 26. These adjustments satisfy our attendance requirements at this time. Should additional days be required, options will be weighed to make up those days."
The last day of school for high school and Macopin Middle School students and staff has not changed from the originally scheduled date of June 25 at this time.
"Please know that the safety of our students is the number one priority in decisions affecting the closing of school," said McLaughlin. "Every effort will be made so that make-up days pose the least disruption possible to the families of our students.”