DANBURY -- For the second time in as many months, schools in the area are closed due to bad weather.
Many districts canceled from two to five days during Tropical Storm Irene.
Now most will be closed at least two days because Saturday's freak late-October snowstorm left much of the state without power.
So with the state mandate that students attend 180 school days before July 1, it's going to be tricky fitting all of that class time into the calendar.
"There are so many trees down it would be unsafe for kids to be walking to the bus stops,'' said Danbury Superintendent Sal Pascarella, who closed schools for Monday and Tuesday.
"We're going to go day by day from now on," Pascarella related.
He noted that reverse phone calls and emails and radio and television announcements about closings require power, which is a problem, given all the homes without electricity.
"We'll keep adding to the end of the school year and then go back," Pascarella said about adjusting the school calendar.
"If we keep going the way we are going," he joked, "we're going to have to go to online learning."
Bethel also closed its schools Monday and Tuesday and will go day by day from this point forward.
"How could you ever predict something like this?'' Bethel Superintendent Gary Chesley asked. "It's a mess."
Chesley said the district planned to close Feb. 20 and 21 for winter break but likely will cancel those vacation days off first, before adding to the school calendar.
During Irene, Newtown students missed four days and staff lost an additional day for training that must be made up. Newtown schools will be closed at least through Wednesday this week.
"This is awful,'' Newtown Superintendent Janet Robinson said Monday.
"We have 60 square miles in town so we have a lot of roads and trees," Robinson said. "The report from CL&P today was not encouraging. None of our schools have power."
Robinson said April vacation will likely be shortened to make up for days that were lost.
"Our board doesn't want to go to the last week of June, so let's hope for a light winter," Robinson said.
Even that, according to the Farmer's Almanac, is not likely, she admitted.
All area schools were closed Monday, but not all were firm on their plans for the next few days.
Contact Eileen FitzGerald
at eileenf@newstimes.com
or 203-731-3333.
Many districts canceled from two to five days during Tropical Storm Irene.
Now most will be closed at least two days because Saturday's freak late-October snowstorm left much of the state without power.
So with the state mandate that students attend 180 school days before July 1, it's going to be tricky fitting all of that class time into the calendar.
"There are so many trees down it would be unsafe for kids to be walking to the bus stops,'' said Danbury Superintendent Sal Pascarella, who closed schools for Monday and Tuesday.
"We're going to go day by day from now on," Pascarella related.
He noted that reverse phone calls and emails and radio and television announcements about closings require power, which is a problem, given all the homes without electricity.
"We'll keep adding to the end of the school year and then go back," Pascarella said about adjusting the school calendar.
"If we keep going the way we are going," he joked, "we're going to have to go to online learning."
Bethel also closed its schools Monday and Tuesday and will go day by day from this point forward.
"How could you ever predict something like this?'' Bethel Superintendent Gary Chesley asked. "It's a mess."
Chesley said the district planned to close Feb. 20 and 21 for winter break but likely will cancel those vacation days off first, before adding to the school calendar.
During Irene, Newtown students missed four days and staff lost an additional day for training that must be made up. Newtown schools will be closed at least through Wednesday this week.
"This is awful,'' Newtown Superintendent Janet Robinson said Monday.
"We have 60 square miles in town so we have a lot of roads and trees," Robinson said. "The report from CL&P today was not encouraging. None of our schools have power."
Robinson said April vacation will likely be shortened to make up for days that were lost.
"Our board doesn't want to go to the last week of June, so let's hope for a light winter," Robinson said.
Even that, according to the Farmer's Almanac, is not likely, she admitted.
All area schools were closed Monday, but not all were firm on their plans for the next few days.
Contact Eileen FitzGerald
at eileenf@newstimes.com
or 203-731-3333.
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