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Lakeville School Board unanimously extends high school semester by one day after weather closure
Summary
The Lakeville Public School District board voted to extend the first semester for grades 9–12 by one day after a weather-related school closure, moving some finals and delaying the start of second semester to avoid students taking multiple finals in one day.
The Lakeville Public School District School Board voted unanimously Jan. 21 to extend the first semester for students in grades 9 through 12 by one day after an unexpected weather closure.
Board Chair Matt Swanson moved to add the calendar adjustment to the meeting agenda and later moved the approval. Swanson said the change was requested after a district closure that disrupted previously scheduled finals and grading timelines: "There’s been a request that we extend the current semester through Monday, to allow for test taking for the students in grades 9 through 12." Paul Carbone seconded the motion. The board approved the change by voice vote; Swanson recorded that there were no opposing votes.
The district said the original plan would have required some students to take multiple finals in a single day. Superintendent Michael Baumann explained the scheduling sequence for the public: finals were originally scheduled for today and tomorrow, with Thursday set aside as a grading day and Monday reserved for professional development and the start of second semester. District leaders said moving today’s finals to tomorrow and adding Monday as an additional finals day would prevent students from having "up to six finals in one day." Baumann added that staff would be given an extended deadline to submit grades to accommodate the altered schedule and that communications had been sent to affected families.
Board members framed the vote as a pragmatic response to safety and academic fairness after an extreme-weather closure. Director Kim Baker thanked staff for the solution and said it would ease student and teacher burden; Director Amber Cameron noted the move would give students more time to take tests.
The calendar adjustment means high school finals already scheduled for the closure day were to be administered tomorrow, with the grading deadline adjusted and the second semester beginning the following Tuesday. District officials said activities were allowed on the closure day after temperature conditions improved, and that families affected by the calendar change had been notified.
No additional calendar or grading policy changes were made by the board at the meeting; the action was limited to a one-day extension of the semester for grades 9–12.
