April Break Remains Shortened to Three Days for Manchester Schools

Students and staff of the Manchester Public Schools will continue to have two fewer vacation days next week because of the amount of snow days the district has experienced since October.

Due to inclement weather, including a blizzard in February, the district has eight snow days on the books this academic year. In order for the students to get in the state-mandated minimum of 180 days of classroom time and teachers to work the contractually obligated 183 days, it means that April break will have to be cut short by two days.

Students and staff will return to classes on April 4th and 5th so as to not extend the school year any later in June. The last day of classes is scheduled for June 25, with high school graduation is set for June 20.

Interim Superintendent of Schools Richard Kisiel told school board members Monday night that he had suggested to the teachers union that the two days of April break could be restored in exchange for the teachers working two Saturdays in the future or two extra days in June to make up the time. After consulting with members, union leadership declined the offer, saying that members preferred to work the two days that had originally been planned as apart of the April break.

There will be some teachers who won’t be in the classroom those days, however. Because of previously planned commitments about 32-35 teachers out of hundreds will not be at work those days. According to school administrators, several of those teachers are taking those days without pay and are covering the cost of the $100 per day for a substitute.

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