KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Olathe high schools will lose a day of spring break to make up for snow days, the district announced Monday.
Students will now return from spring break on March 18, which was originally scheduled as a professional day, Olathe Public Schools said in a letter to parents.
High schools will also add 10 minutes to the beginning of the school day for the entire fourth quarter. Schools will start at 7:50 a.m. each day, including Thursdays, which will no longer have late starts.
On May 22, the second day of finals for students in grades nine through 11, the schedule will change from a half day to a full day.
The changes will only impact high schools because the state requires a certain number of “student contact hours” that the district must fulfill, the district said on its website. Elementary and middle schools are currently within the number of hours they need.
The district said it chose to add minutes to the beginning of the school day to keep bus routes the same.
School districts across the Kansas City metro are working to make up lost class time after a brutal winter has led to more than double the number of snow days from last year.
In Missouri, every missed day must be made up until a district hits seven snow days. At that point, one day must be made up for every two days missed.
In Kansas, state law allows districts to extend the school day to make up for lost time.
