Board hears inclement-weather update; no calendar changes recommended
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Summary
After eight days of severe weather, the acting superintendent told the board the division remains above the state instructional-hour requirement when remote days and meal provision are counted; he recommended no immediate calendar changes.
The Southampton County School Board received an update on instructional hours and calendar implications after recent inclement weather and agreed there is no need to change the school calendar at this time.
Acting Superintendent Dr. Harris Mohammed reported the division had missed six days so far in 2026. Because the governor declared a state of emergency and the division provided meals, some remote asynchronous days counted toward instructional hours. "We have missed 6 days so far in 2026," he said, and later explained that the scheduled hours total 1,148 and that after accounting for missed hours the division remained above the Code of Virginia's required 990 instructional hours.
Dr. Harris Mohammed described efforts to limit instructional loss during building outages (broken boilers, power interruptions) and noted work to reschedule IEP meetings and catch-up services for special education students. Board members thanked maintenance and school staff for rapid responses and discussed placing prioritized maintenance items in the capital improvement plan.
Result: Superintendent recommended no calendar changes at present; the board agreed to monitor conditions and keep parents and staff informed. The board will revisit calendar adjustments only if further instructional hours are lost.