The RSD Board of Education (BOE) has announced that in case of inclement weather, schools will conduct a virtual half day, similar to the Monday schedule.

Assistant Superintendent Supervision of Schools Dr. Lisa Counts said the Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (DESE) requires a minimum of 1,044 hours of instruction and 36 weather make-up hours.
Currently with the schedule for the second quarter, which only has three classes and is a shorter school day, MHS is not meeting the required instructional hours.

“Normally we would build in snow days for high school students but we can’t do that anymore so we decided to come up with another plan,” Dr. Counts said.

RSD schools will have the ability to provide instructional hours with an Alternate Method of Instruction (AMI). It will be similar to the current distant learning environment with prescribed lessons over Zoom.
Junior Principal Carl Hudson said teachers will teach students for approximately a half hour.

“I believe teachers will either review a lesson or teach mini-lessons during that time,” Hudson said. “But either way students will be able to participate and be engaged.”

If RSD exceeds the 36 hours or six days of virtual half days allotted, then normal school days will be added to the school year to make up for the lost instructional hours.

“I think this is a good plan,” Hudson said. “Students will still be able to wake up late and play in the snow but also attend school in a safe as well as engaging way.”

Srijana Akurati, sophomore, believes this is the most efficient way to meet the hours requirement.

“As much as I wouldn’t like to go to school during snow days,” Akurati said. “I would much rather do a half day with 30 minute classes then extend the school year and add several full days.”

Akurati said she thinks it will also help students in the long run.
“It will be the perfect time to do any last minute review with the teachers or ask questions” Akurati said.