Lucky kids get two fewer days of school
Published on May 15th, 2002
STONEHAM, MA - Not only is summer vacation fast approaching but, according to Stoneham School Superintendent Dr. Joseph Connelly, it will be here sooner than expected for some.
Connelly announced at last week’s School Committee meeting, which preceded Town Meeting on Thursday, that state Commissioner of Education David Driscoll, at the request of the Stoneham School Committee, has waived the requirement for total number of school days for four Stoneham schools.
The last day of school for all Stoneham public schools is Tuesday, June 18.
Public schools in Massachusetts have a strict requirement which calls for a school year of 180 days. But thanks to the state’s waiver, Robin Hood, Colonial Park and Central elementary schools, along with Stoneham High School, are getting a break this year in meeting that requirement.
Robin Hood, Colonial Park and Central Schools are scheduled to close with only 178 days of school completed. Last fall, these three schools each closed for two days due to the moves necessitated by the elementary school building project. The Central School population moved into its new school on Pomeworth Street, and both the Robin Hood and Colonial Park school populations moved out of their buildings and into the old Central School, in time for the two final renovation projects to commence.
Stoneham High School will also be shy of the 180 day requirement, but by one day. Last fall, school was cancelled for a day due to a power outage. It was around this time that many residents and businesses in town experienced multiple power outages and similar problems with energy provider NStar. Fortunately, the problem at Stoneham High School was corrected in a relatively short time.
Typically, five days are added to the 180 day requirement at the beginning of the school year to allow for cancellations due to snow. This year, Stoneham had virtually no snow and those days were not an issue.
With the state waiver in hand, the School Committee voted unanimously to schedule June 18 as the last day of school for the 2001-2002 school year for Stoneham public schools.
In other news: Who can administer first aid and where the liability falls is an issue that the School Committee is looking into.
According to Connelly, every school system must have an administrative plan in place regarding administration of first aid and the subsequent liability. Some concern was raised when it was heard that a school nurse could be liable for any first aid administered by anyone on her shift, including a parent.
However, following discussion with the Department of Public Health, Assistant School Superintendent Dr. Joseph Casey announced that the liability for any first aid administered by someone other than the school nurse was covered by the Good Samaritan Act.
The School Committee is waiting to see this policy in writing and will take up the issue again at its next meeting on May 23.
Finally, Casey announced that the South School principal search is in good shape with a pool of approximately 40 well qualified candidates to choose from. One more round of interviews is scheduled, and the best candidate is expected to be in place well before school reopens in September.
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