WL-S board pushes back start of school

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WEST LIBERTY – West Liberty-Salem’s school start date has been moved to Sept. 14 from Sept. 9.

The change was necessary from building project delays due to excessive rain, Superintendent Kraig Hissong said.

The school board approved the calendar change at a special meeting Thursday.

“In June, we had 19 consecutive rain days and 23 total days of rain,” Hissong said. “The builders couldn’t get the steel put in because it was too wet.”

The district’s project will add classroom space and a second entrance to the school site, among other improvements. The board previously delayed the start of school to Sept. 9 because the builders needed time to get structures in place before students returned to classes.

There are a couple days in February 2016 when the school will be closed for teacher work days to rearrange the inside of the school for more building work to be done. Hissong said the goal is to not change the calendar again, and the builders assured him they should not need more delays, since the work in the winter will be done inside the building.

The school year will begin Sept. 14 instead of Sept. 9 and will end May 20 instead of May 19. School days were extended by 30 minutes throughout the school year, and that will not change.

Hissong said the calendar moves teacher professional development and work days to the end of the school year, after students have left, to prevent the school year from lengthening because of the later start date.

By Casey S. Elliott

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Casey S. Elliott may be reached at 937-652-1331 ext. 1772 or on Twitter @UDCElliott.

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