News

Students may lose holidays; spring break intact for now

By Bill Moss, Published: February 26, 2015

Having lost six days of school this week and last, Henderson County students are at risk of losing holidays but — so far — not spring break.

The icy snow last week meant that public school students lost Tuesday through Thursday; Friday had already been scheduled as a teacher work day. Then this week, when the snow started on Monday, administrators made the call to send students home at noon and closed schools Tuesday, Wednesday and today.

Assistant Schools Superintendent Bo Caldwell said on Thursday afternoon that he had taken the day off after rising at 3 a.m. for two days in a row to check roads. Then he acknowledged what he was actually doing was "riding roads" to make the call for Friday. He said he expected the school office would make the call by 5 p.m. today.

With the loss of six school days, the system is pushing up against the last available makeup days before having to encroach on spring break. After last week's snow days, administrators took a teacher work day and extended the school year by two days, to June 12. Although no final decision has been made, Caldwell said administrators are looking at taking Good Friday — the last day before spring break — and Memorial Day.

"We're trying hard to preserve spring break," Caldwell said.