- October 31, 2024
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By: Jason Wheeler
Flagler County Schools Community Information Specialist
Following the hurricane-related closing of schools Sept. 3-5, Flagler Schools Superintendent James Tager has announced plans for making up that lost instructional time.
The current bell schedule was extended a couple of years ago. That simple adjustment adds up to two days automatically accrued. This leaves one day to make up.
In working on this year’s instructional calendar, Flagler Schools and its unions agreed the district shall use Monday, Oct. 14, as the first available hurricane make-up day.
This day is marked as a Teacher Work Day on the 2019-2020 calendar.
Since we are still in the height of hurricane season, the Florida Department of Education is refraining from making any decisions related to waivers for the loss of instructional hours until hurricane season concludes in November.
Based on the standards set forth by the State Department of Education for a waiver request, the district does not anticipate any such request would be approved.
“It is important we make up the lost time in this first semester, so our high school students with block classes will have the most instructional time before their end-of-semester exams,” Superintendent Tager said. However, he reminded everyone, “Should we need any further school closures from other weather events, we would need to utilize other days marked on our yearly calendar as hurricane make-up days.”
Flagler Schools wants to let parents know that the yearly calendar is set prior to each school year. Last year, the schedule allowed for a third day to be accumulated just from the extended school day. This year, the 2019-2020 school year began two days later than in 2018-2019. That loss of days means the school district only has two full days built in to our schedule.
The loss of time from Hurricane Dorian also means progress reports for the first quarter have been pushed back a week, to Sept. 17. The period for parent-teacher conferences in our elementary schools will also be moved to the second quarter.
A School Board workshop scheduled for 3 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 3, as well as a special School Board meeting to set the final millage rate and budget for 2019-20 scheduled for 5:15 p.m., were both postponed, as was a special meeting to approve the 2018-2019 annual financial report and cost report scheduled for Monday, Sept. 9.
Here’s how these meetings will be rescheduled:
The workshop will be combined with the scheduled 1 p.m. workshop on Tuesday, Sept. 17.
The millage and budget meeting will be held at 5:15 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17.
The financial and cost report meeting will happen as an agenda item at the 1 p.m. workshop on Tuesday, Sept. 17.
Story courtesy of the Flagler County School District
