WS/FCS considers adding 15 minutes to school days to make up for weather closures

Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools is looking for feedback on how to make up missed school days due to inclement weather. 

The state requires 1,025 hours of instruction per academic year, but with multiple school closures due to snow and other weather events, the district is about 13 hours short.

At a recent Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Tricia McManus proposed making up the lost time by adding 15 minutes to each school day for the rest of the year starting Feb. 3.  

“It has to be instructional. So you'd have to say, 'We'll add some to each period,'" McManus said. "There's options. Fifteen minutes could go a long way.”

Alternatively, the district could add more school days to the end of the year. 

WS/FCS families and staff have been sent surveys to give feedback on these options. The school board will discuss and vote on a plan at their meeting next Tuesday. 

Amy Diaz covers education for WFDD in partnership with Report For America. You can follow her on Twitter at @amydiaze.