Several options being considered

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Schools in Baton Rouge are considering how to make up three to five school days lost due to January’s winter storms.

Officials said any time made up will have to occur between now and late May, when the 2013-14 school year ends.

Louisiana requires schools to be in session at least 63,720 minutes - which works out to 177 six-hour days - and many school districts have extra days and time in their schedules.

“All of our schools have more minutes than required, so we’ll have to go back and take a look at if we have to add minutes, if we have to add a day,” Livingston Parish Superintendent John Watson told The Advocate (https://bit.ly/1djzll0).

School leaders have an incentive to make up time quickly so students can better prepare for standardized testing that starts March 18 and continues off and on through the end of the school year.

Ideas under consideration are cutting upcoming holidays short, eliminating teacher training days and extending the length of the school day.

“We are looking at how we can fit in as much makeup time as we can for state assessment,” said East Baton Rouge Parish Superintendent Bernard Taylor.

He said he is floating ideas with staff, including possibly adding 30 minutes to the school day and converting a teacher training day scheduled March 14 into a regular school day. Taylor said he’s against extending the school year past May 22, the last day of classes.

“It serves no constructive purpose to do that,” he said.

Iberville Parish and Baker schools are considering longer school days.

Baker Superintendent Ulysses Joseph said he doesn’t think he’ll need to shorten Mardi Gras or spring break holidays.

“Teachers can get antsy when you talk about taking away a day off,” Joseph said Friday.

Central lost five days due to cold weather, and it may cut into vacation days as a result.

Central Superintendent Michael Faulk said his calendar calls for schools to be closed the full week of Mardi Gras. He said he might bring kids back to school late that week, after Fat Tuesday.

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Information from: The Advocate, https://theadvocate.com