Weston Area Schools Don't Plan To Lengthen Calendar

WESTON, Conn. – Weston, Easton and Redding schools aren't part of a nationwide experiment to lengthen school days to help under-performing students. But it’s an idea supported by Colleen Palmer, Weston’s superintendent of schools.

Hurlbutt Elementary and other Weston schools won't institute calendar changes, although superintendent of schools Colleen Palmer thinks its could be advantageous.
Photo Credit: *Ken Liebeskind*

by Ken Liebeskind

12/06/2012 2:00 a.m.

“There’s a direct correlation between time students spend in school and achievement level,” she said. “If you look at countries around the world, the U.S. has one of the shortest school years, so it’s typical to look at readjusting the school year in this country.

“It would be a discussion for us except every day of school adds $250,000 so there is a tremendous budget impact.”

Increasing the length of the school day would also increase costs, she said.

Dr. Bernard Josefsberg, superintendent of Easton Redding Region 9 schools said increasing the length of the school day in the region would be impractical because it would interfere with the extracurricular events that are an important part of student school days.

But the idea is valuable for Palmer. "Having additional time that would allow students to meet with small groups of teachers would be something we’d like to embrace. And if we added a few days to the school year it might give students more time to prepare for advanced placement tests. We’d accomplish more with our students."

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