Click here to subscribe today or Login.
By STEVE MOCARSKY smocarsky@leader.net
Sunday, March 16, 2003 Page: 1B
It looks like Hazleton Area students might be the only kids in Luzerne
County to attend classes into mid-June.
As of Thursday, six snow days have pushed Hazleton Area’s last day of
school from June 9 to June 18, said Superintendent Geraldine Shepperson.
“And we still may have another snow day. You never know with March,”
Shepperson said.
Shepperson fears that students’ education will suffer because of the
extended school year nearing the official start of summer.
“I think any day after June 1, it becomes difficult for students to pay
attention. That’s why I advocate an early start. I think we were the only
district not to start school before Labor Day this year,” Shepperson said.
Most school districts in Luzerne County began classes during the last week
of August in 2002. Lake-Lehman began on Sept. 3 and Hazleton Area on Sept. 4.
Last year, Shepperson recommended to the School Board that classes begin
this school year during the last week of August, but the board opted to
approve a calendar proposed by School Board member Dr. Robert Childs.
Childs said he proposed the calendar based on last year’s mild winter.
“Hindsight is always wonderful. Had I known what this winter would bring,
I wouldn’t have proposed we observe Labor Day with such enthusiasm. We saw it
as the last opportunity for families to get together before the school year,
and that was the motivation to start school after rather than before Labor
Day,” Childs said.
“All I can do is apologize for not having clairvoyance for not knowing
what would come down the pike,” Childs said.
Shepperson said many educators look at classroom time after June 1 as
“wasted time. Students don’t mind starting school in late August because
they’re enthusiastic and ready to go back and see their friends.
“Teachers will tell you it’s not as difficult to maintain order and keep
their attention in late August as it is in early to mid-June,” Shepperson
said.
Childs doesn’t think Shepperson’s viewpoint is “viable,” because late
August weather is “considerably hotter” than early June weather and
classrooms are not air conditioned.
He also said to start school before Labor Day, have students attend two or
three days and then take off three days would cause “a tremendous amount of
disruption.”
However, Childs commended Shepperson and the administration for making
appropriate decisions on when to cancel or delay school because of the
weather.
“They’ve been squarely on target. There were no days called off when they
shouldn’t have been called off. … The administration did an admirable job.
There was a day when school was canceled and I looked out the window and there
was nothing on the ground. But within two hours, there was a gigantic mess out
there,” Childs said.
Childs said he will defer decisions about next year’s school calendar to
Valley Elementary Principal Frank Victor, who will become superintendent after
Shepperson retires in August. Childs said he expects Victor will soon submit a
proposed 2003-2004 calendar to the School Board for review.
Some school districts are using Easter vacation to make up some snow days.
Greater Nanticoke Area will make up two snow days the Thursday before and
Tuesday after Easter.
Pittston Area made up two of their four snow days on Martin Luther King Jr.
Day and Dec. 23 – a Christmas vacation day. Students will attend classes the
Monday and Tuesday after Easter to make up two other snow days, said Lori
Nocito, the district’s public relations coordinator.
Shepperson said she will not recommend Hazleton Area make up snow days over
Easter break because “this is a very Christian community” and attendance
would be poor. Also, some people planned vacations for that time, she said.
Shepperson also said the district is contractually obligated to give
janitors Holy Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Monday off and the schools
cannot be open without janitors present.
Steve Mocarsky, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 459-2005.