Editorial: Attending school on holiday an unfortunate decision
It’s unfortunate that Collier County School Board members rescheduled the federal Martin Luther King Jr. holiday on Jan. 15 as a regular school day.
But then, it’s also unfortunate that board members rescheduled the federal Veterans Day holiday as a regular school day on Nov. 10. We’d reach the same conclusion about the decision to have school on Presidents Day on Feb. 19, not honoring the federal holiday.
An unfortunate decision, however, isn’t the same as an unwarranted one. That’s what this was, an unfortunate decision but not an unwarranted one.
Collier schools needed to reschedule several days lost not only because of Hurricane Irma’s landfall here but an August deluge that flooded dozens of roads. There was one hurricane makeup day on the original school year calendar, not six flexible days available to reschedule classes, as ultimately were needed.
Certainly all three dates are important in history or they wouldn’t have been designated as federal holidays. So it wasn’t a question of finding just a single day on the school calendar so that Jan. 15 could remain a school holiday because there were three holidays affected by storms. To do otherwise would suggest one federal holiday is more important than another.
Consider the century-plus of service and sacrifice by so many who have served in our military and continue doing so, protecting our freedoms. Yet there was no outcry over giving up the Veterans Day holiday to hold classes instead.
Stormy times
Irma wasn’t just any hurricane when it made landfall Sept. 10. It was by all accounts several times more severe than any to have hit this region since 1960. Collier schools sustained water intrusion at 48 buildings, including roof damage at 40. There are 57 schools, so with such widespread damage to address and families moving into recovery mode, it was unfortunate but unavoidable we needed so many makeup days.
The district had to cancel a mid-September School Board meeting. The board had on its agenda for its first post-Irma meeting in late September a reconfiguration of the school calendar to provide makeup days. The decision to hold classes on three federal holidays was discussed. Only the unfortunate decision regarding Jan. 15 has come up at each board meeting since.
At their Nov. 14 meeting, board members Erick Carter, Stephanie Lucarelli and Kelly Lichter seemed receptive to reconsidering. Board member Roy Terry said he’s been through the calendar repeatedly and couldn’t find a better way to keep semesters aligned.
In our view, board member Erika Donalds got this right that the decision to use holidays as makeup days was ensuring students “get the instructional time they need and deserve after missing two weeks of school."
She added: "We’re hurting kids by having them in school and teaching them? That’s harsh.”
The September decision came with caveats that students won’t be tested Jan. 15 and, if in school, they’ll learn about King’s legacy. If some 1,200 of the 46,000 district students typically participate in King day events as sponsors have noted, there are many more students who can be educated about the day’s meaning by being in school.
The board next meets Dec. 12 at Immokalee High School. That would be too late to start remaking the calendar for families who already have made plans.
However, it won’t be too late for those concerned about holding school on Jan. 15 to learn from the board and staff specifically what class programs are planned and how they can contribute to making that day more meaningful for students both in and out of school.