All of this snow has meant a lot of days off for schools in Boston — but the city has a plan for making up those days.
Boston school kids may have been loving all this time away from classes, but Boston Teachers Union President Richard Stutman says he thinks 90 percent of teachers are eager to get back in the classroom.
“Maybe more," Stutman said. "I think everyone in Boston wants to get out and go back to normal.”
There’s a new normal now, actually. And in it, all these snow days mean kids are going to miss out on two holidays: School will now be held on Evacuation Day, which is also St. Patrick’s Day on March 17, and Bunker Hill Day on June 17. Stutman says schools have to make sure classes wrap up by June 30.
“As the weather gets warm, it is very difficult to have school," he said. "Our buildings are not made for it. And they’re ill-equipped.”
School on those two holidays builds in one buffer day for a future snowstorm. But there’s a good chance that might not be enough. And if it’s not, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh has some ideas for making days up that kids aren’t going to like. They could cut back on April break. Or — God forbid — hold school on Saturdays. With more snow expected on Thursday, Walsh says he’s not going to let a reluctance to try one of those things keep him from canceling school if necessary.
“I mean it really depends," he said. "If we get four inches of snow, depending on what kind of snow it is we might have school. But at the end of the day, I’m putting the safety of the kids first. So we’ll figure out where to make the school up.”
At least Boston kids can know one thing is safe. Their February break is still on, as scheduled, next week.
