The DeKalb County School District will keep its extended school day schedule through the month of November to make up time lost because of Tropical Storm Irma.
The school district announced Friday that students would remain in school for an additional 20 minutes through Nov. 30. The district already implemented the extended class day for October.
Spokesman André Riley said lengthening class days, combined with having school in session on Election Day, Nov. 7, will recover three of the four days the school district lost because of damage from the September storm. Irma cut power and downed trees throughout the school district.
DeKalb will not make up the fourth day, Riley said.
There’s one exception to the district’s just-announced schedule that might please students eager to go trick or treating: DeKalb will not have an extended day on Halloween, Oct. 31.
The district said schools will be closed Nov. 20-24 for the Thanksgiving break.
The decision to extend school days in November was made after surveying parents, teachers, principals, and other groups, said Superintendent Steve Green.
“The result was an arrangement that enables our schools to regain a major portion of the lost time needed for achievement,” he said, in a written statement. “Extending the school day with this schedule is the least disruptive for all parties.”
The district had waffled on its plan for how to make up the days lost to Irma, when DeKalb closed Sept. 11 and reopened Sept. 15.
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