New London School District adjust calendar to make up for snow days

NEW LONDON - Mounting snows days have forced the New London Community School District to rearrange the remainder of its academic calendar.

The district's previously scheduled holidays, Presidents Day (Feb. 18) and the Monday following Easter (April 22), have been reinstated as regular school days.

Superintendent Chad Wahls said this is done to counteract the eight school days missed due to inclement weather. Students also were given an additional two days off in light of the success of the school's football team last year, bringing the total of missed days to 10 for the school year.

'Some peopled talked about adding 20 minutes onto an eight-period day,” said Wahls during the district's Feb. 18, school board meeting. 'You've given each period about two extra minutes. I don't know what (classes) are going to do with those two extra minutes.”

When it comes to next school year, Wahls has looked into how the district counts school days. Wahls said that counting minutes as opposed to days potentially offers more flexibility, but it would also mean that a day where students were only in school for half an hour due to weather would only count for 30 minutes rather than a full day.

Wahls will bring a proposal to the school board on March 19 regarding how the district will count school days moving forward. For this year, the district is set to release students for the summer on June. 6.