Rowan County board approves 20-minute daily extension starting March 2 to recoup snow days
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Summary
The Rowan County School Board voted Feb. 17 to authorize a 20-minute extension of the school day beginning March 2 so the district can meet instructional-hour requirements if pending state bills allow adding minutes instead of days; the motion passed by voice vote.
The Rowan County School Board on Feb. 17 approved a motion allowing the superintendent to extend the school day by 20 minutes beginning March 2 to help the district make up instructional time lost to winter weather.
Superintendent Mister Rowe told the board there are two related bills pending in the state House that would allow districts to add instructional minutes instead of requiring a full 170-day calendar, while keeping the statutory requirement for total hours. "One of them is very similar to last year, which would allow districts to add additional instructional minutes to the day," Rowe said, and noted a companion bill would permit additional NTI (nontraditional instruction) days going forward but not retroactively.
Board members discussed practical effects, including dismissal time and extracurricular schedules. Rowe said the change would move dismissal to 3:20 p.m. and estimated the adjustment could make up several missed days without extending the school year into June. "Starting on March 2, we could cut off 6 of the snow days we currently have used," Rowe said during discussion; board members noted some uncertainty about exact gains but supported a preemptive change if the legislation passes.
A motion to authorize the superintendent to extend the day 20 minutes each school day beginning March 2 was made, seconded and approved by voice vote; the chair announced, "Aye," and declared the motion passed.
The board did not record a roll-call vote or individual tallies in the public meeting minutes; the action was a voice vote with no recorded dissents. The board also discussed keeping spring break unchanged and noted the district previously used a similar minute-extension approach.
Next steps: the superintendent and district staff will implement the change on school schedules beginning March 2, pending the legislative timeline the superintendent described. The board did not move into closed session and adjourned the meeting after routine remarks.