Archive: Around Town

Mark S. LewisDistrict officials have fielded numerous inquiries from community members regarding what must occur now that we have exceeded our snow day allotment as a result of the April 16th storm. We will not lose the Memorial Day holiday. Furthermore, students will not have to make up the day on Monday, June 25th. The last day of school for students will be Friday, June 22nd.

The issue at hand pertains the length of the school year for ten month employees. The school year for ten-month employees amounts to 181 days. We will fall one short of that number as a result of the April 16th snow day. We will be exploring alternatives with the union leadership that will result in that day being made up in a far more productive manner than would be the case if ten-month employees were required to report for work on June 25th. It is our goal to arrive at an option that is beneficial and acceptable to all concerned.

April 16th at 5:00pm was the deadline for submitting petitions for the board of education. This year there are three candidates vying for two seats. The candidates include incumbent Christine Iacobucci, David Dittman and Gina Lord-Shattuck. The PTSO will sponsor a meet the candidate night on Tuesday, May 8th at 7pm in the high school cafeteria. All Lansing residents are urged to attend this event where they will be able to ask questions of the candidates and learn of their vision for Lansing’s educational program. The election will be held on Tuesday, May 15th between 7am and 9pm in the middle school auditorium lobby.

One final thought: School officials are constantly concerned with school safety. It is our goal to ensure that our students receive a quality education within the confines of a secure environment. The tragic events of April 16th at Virginia Tech demand that we revisit the issue of school safety and review each school’s emergency plans to ensure its effectiveness. Between now and the start of next school year, the school safety initiative will expand to include experts in the field of school security with the goal of implementing changes that further enhance that security. We will be providing additional information to the public in the future as appropriate.

 

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