Cedar Rapids School District Makes Stunning Decision Regarding Snow Days

We received notice a little bit ago from the Cedar Rapids School District regarding how they will be making up their snow days this year, which has had parents and teachers curious.  We now know.  And we guarantee, some will not like it, at all.

According to an e-mail from Marcia Hughes, Community Relations Supervisor, instead of moving the last day of school past the June 5th school date, the District has decided to start the school day 10 minutes earlier, and end it 10 minutes later, for the rest of the year, starting Monday March 30th.  Let that sink in for a minute.

It's a very different decision, that we never saw coming.  I think most of us simply assumed they would just add 2 days onto the end of the school year, ending Tuesday, June 9th.  However, that is not the case.

“This is the first year that we have counted our school year according to hours rather than days. One of the reasons we did this was to allow us to make up lost instructional time by adjusting the length of the school day schedule rather than adding days to the end of the school year.”

-Cedar Rapids Superintendent Dave Benson

So here's how it'll work beginning March 30th:

• Elementary schools will begin the school day at 8:50 a.m. and conclude at 3:55 p.m.
  Morning preschool & alternative kindergarten classes will be from 8:30 -11:40a
  Afternoon preschool & alternative kindergarten classes will be from 12:40 – 3:50p
• Middle schools will begin classes at 7:50 a.m. and dismiss at 3:00 p.m.
• High Schools:
  - Jefferson High School will begin classes at 7:40 a.m. and dismiss at 3:10 (with an early dismissal on Wednesdays)
  -  Kennedy High School will begin classes at 7:45 a.m. and dismiss at 2:55 p.m.
  -  Metro High School will begin classes at 7:50 a.m. and dismiss at 3:26 (with an early dismissal on Wednesdays)
  -  Washington High School will begin classes at 8:05 a.m. and dismiss at 3:15 p.m.

I know some thought maybe they'd just cancel the early dismissal days, but that was not an option. Those times will not change, as it will still be a 12:30 p.m. dismissal for middle and high schools and 1:30 p.m. dismissal for elementary schools.

While this solution is certainly better than the disaster that was last year's much extended school year, it's very interesting.  Although it's only 10 minutes, we can imagine some parents and after school groups might not be very appreciative of this adjustment to their schedules. Feel free to weigh in your thoughts below.

BTW, barring any other delays/cancels, the CR school year will end June 5th, except for Taylor Elementary which will end May 28th.