As we all count down the days until summer vacation, the burden of making up snow days comes to mind. What is going to happen if we exceed the number of given days? Will the school week be extended Monday-Saturday? Or will our academic year be lengthened, cutting our vacation(s) short. Students everywhere are frantically awaiting the news.

    As of now, Milford Public Schools have four days to make up at the end of the year, pushing back the previous release date of June 15, to the 21, (with the exception of senior students). In regards to the other rumors, Superintendent of Milford Public Schools, Robert Tremblay, says “I have no intention of shortening any of the school vacation weeks, nor do I intend to have students attend on Saturdays.” Although these options will not follow through, Tremblay explains, “I would likely consider that as the preferred option to a shortened February or April vacation week.”

    Schools “must consider many factors including the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) requirements, transportation and the needs to each school in the school district,” says Milford High’s Principal, Michael Tempesta. 

    Tremblay further explains, “there are contractual obligations (for teachers and administrators) and rules promulgated by the Massachusetts DESE concerning when school will end and what constitutes the required number of hours of instruction…the academic year must end before June 30, 2011 so we still have plenty of days left before July 1, 2011 (when we MUST have completed 180 school days), so I would expect that we will be okay to stay on schedule.”

    With all these options, students favor Tremblay’s decision, freshman Ian Grimes agrees, “I didn’t really like the fact that he wanted us to go on Saturday’s to make up school and that he was going to cut our vacations, but now that he’s not doing either of those, I don’t really care.”

    The graduating upperclassmen seem to have a different outlook on these decisions. MHS senior, Kayla Petrini says “it doesn’t matter to me because we still get out in May, the more snow days, the better!”

    Regardless of class rank, most students mutually agree on Tremblay’s decision to extend the academic year, than give up their entitlements.