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Irvington Schools Shorten Winter Break To Make Up Days

IRVINGTON, N.Y. – Irvington students will lose three days of the mid-winter recess and a superintendent conference day on April 1 to make up for a week-long vacation after Hurricane Sandy.

Irvington school officials added class days back into the school calendar on Tuesday.

Irvington school officials added class days back into the school calendar on Tuesday.

Photo Credit: Meredith Shamburger

The Irvington Board of Education unanimously approved the changes to the district calendar Tuesday night.

“We get it,” School Board President Robert Grados said. “I have non-refundable flights and I've paid for a hotel and everything for the February break. So we don't make the decision to add back in days to the February break lightly.”

Hurricane Sandy closed the Irvington school district for five days because of unsafe road conditions and power outages. The spontaneous vacation meant that, after the district added in its existing superintendent conference days, students in all schools except Main Street School were two days shy of state requirements. A burst pipe shut down the Main Street School for an extra day in November, leaving the building three days short.

New York State requires 180 days of instruction. School districts that fail to meet this mandate potentially face the loss of state aid.

“It's a situation that has been a challenge for all of us,” Superintendent Kristopher Harrison said.

Officials decided to take away Feb. 20 to 22 from the February break instead of Spring Break because they want to prepare for a harsh winter. Harrison said Spring Break could be used to make-up snow days if needed.

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