Storms Eliminate Most of February Break for Comsewogue Schools

Due to school days lost from Hurricane Sandy and the recent blizzard, Comsewogue School District has announced that school will be in session next week during what was supposed to be February break, minus President's Day.

Superintendent Joseph Rella wrote in a message posted on the district's website that the State Education Department will not forgive any days lost as a result of the storms until district's use up all of their available vacation days. In order to meet mandatory 180 days of instruction, school will now be in session from Feb. 19-22.

"As a result of losing those two days, we now will have 178 days of instruction for the year," Rella wrote. "We need to have 180 days or we will lose about $130,000 for each day we are short."

Rella encourages parents and students to go on vacations that were already planned, as the storms were beyond everyone's control.

"The State's position is to do nothing for us," he wrote. "So we need to help each other. Families have already been severely stressed by the events of this year. Now to have to cancel a planned vacation is penalizing them twice.

"As you might expect, our teachers will be sensitive to students who might be absent and with their families. Major work, tests, etc. will not happen during this time. We will also inform BOCES for students who attend there."

Read the entire letter here. Do you think the State should grant district's relief on days lost due to the storms, or are you in support of their position? Tell us in the comments section below.