Schools Have One Bad-Weather Day To Make Up

By The Smithfield Weekly Sun

SMITHFIELD – The Johnston County Board of Education Tuesday approved Monday, March 9 as a make-up day for students and staff following the recent closure of schools because of two separate spells of wintry weather.

Five of those missed days were replaced with Internet “remote learning” classes – the maximum number allowed by state law during an academic year. That brought forth a wish from board member April Lee that no more instructional days will be lost this year because of bad weather.

If more days are lost, do Johnston’s schools have a cushion regarding required instructional hours? The answer is yes, replied Associate Superintendent Patty Whittington, noting that the state requires a minimum of 1,096 hours while Johnston has built 1,096 hours into its calendar. As a result, she said, 9.6 instructional days are currently “banked” that could be missed without remote learning or make-ups.