Extra Time in School Calendar is Advantageous 

LUNENBURG – The Lunenburg County Public Schools (LCPS) recently missed a day of instruction over concerns of possible flooding and even hurricane conditions in the area.  Southside Virginia luckily escaped any major problems, but with winter approaching, and missed time at some point likely on the horizon, some parents have wondered about the possibility of make up time.

LCPS Superintendent Charles Berkley recently addressed this issue during discussions with county officials and noted that a state of emergency had been issued during that time and with many schools closing, the day likely would not be an issue even if time were missed down the road.

Mr. Berkley said that Lunenburg is in good shape either way. The state requires 995 hours of instruction from school divisions each year and Lunenburg has 1,200 hours built into the school calendar. He stated, “We found out a few years ago that the extra hours and time built into our calendar was needed.”

Lunenburg added extra time to the school day several years ago and this is a contributor to the extra hours built into the calendar. He would go on to say that this extra time was not only advantageous to the children as they get additional learning time, but it also helped keep from having to extend school years or take away vacation time from the children when normal amounts of missed time does occur.