[WardFive] FYI: DCPS Announces Updates to the School Year to Make Up Cancelled School Days

April 23, 2013

DCPS Announces Updates to the School Year to Make Up Cancelled School Days 

New Last Day of '12-'13 School Year Will BeJune 21

Contact: Melissa Salmanowitz | 202-535-1096

In order to fulfill the requirement of 180 instructional days in the school year, District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS) will need to restore two instructional days lost due to inclement weather. 

DCPS will extend the originally scheduled half-day on Thursday, June 20 into a full-day and add a half-day on Friday, June 21, making it the new last day of the 2012-2013 school year. DCPS will also convert the scheduled Parent-Teacher Conference Day on June 3 into a regular school day.

"Our obligation is for our students to have at least 180 days of instruction. We take an abundance of caution before we cancel the school day, but this year because of the weather, we had to cancel three days," said DCPS Chancellor Kaya Henderson. "To meet that obligation, we are extending a previously scheduled half day, extending the school year by a half-day and converting a parent-teacher conference day into an instructional day."

The school cancellations occurred on October 29 and 30 related to Hurricane Sandy and additionally on March 6.  DCPS builds 181 instructional days annually into the school calendar with a requirement to provide 180 days for students. DCPS will work with schools to ensure activities previously scheduled to occur during the parent-teacher conference day, will take place accordingly in other ways.