For Beverly, Marblehead Students, This Week Is No Vacation

MARBLEHEAD, MA — While students and school staff across the state hunker down in the cozy confines of comforters and bedrooms — or get out of town with their families — during the traditional February vacation this week, those in three North Shore districts are braving the morning cold to made it to the classrooms to make up for those lost in the historic November teacher strikes.

Beverly, Marblehead and Gloucester each took varying paths to make sure students reached the state-required 180 days of classroom learning by June 30 to complete the school year. But all three eliminated the four days of February vacation after the Presidents Day holiday.

While each district prioritized convincing students and families of the importance of treating these school days as any other during the school year, in practice, there was an allowance of what a challenge that would be.

"Student attendance is way down," Marblehead Superintendent John Robidioux told Patch on Tuesday. "We are at just under 45-ish percent attendance rate at the middle and high schools today.

"The plan is to normalize the days as much as possible but that is very difficult with student attendance that low and with the fact that the district has been pretty hard hit with the flu, COVID, and other illnesses as of late."

Both Beverly and Marblehead took steps to minimize the penalties for missing days because of what may have been long-planned family vacations or other attendance obstacles — including requesting that teachers avoid giving tests on the make-up days and not marking any absences as those that might contribute to being excessive and unexcused.

"While we know these make-up days can be challenging and some of us wish not to be in this situation, these are required school days and I encourage all families to continue to make learning a priority as we work to do the best we can for our students," Beverly Superintendent Suzanne Charochak said in a message to families earlier this month after the first of five Saturday make-up days the district installed to maintain an April break.

• 5 Beverly Saturday School Days To Make Up For Teacher Strike Days Lost

"As we head toward the spring, our schools are focusing on the many things we must accomplish and all the opportunities we have before this school year comes to an end," Charochak added. "Whether it's mastering mathematical equations and improving reading skills or raising the curtain for theatrical productions and winning athletic championships, we are focused on the work and joy ahead.

"In our classrooms, around our schools, and around the city, students, educators, and families are doing incredible things. I'm proud of all we are doing together to stay focused on our mission to maximize our students' growth and achievement."

Both Charochak and Robidoux said they requested schedule relief in the make-up days from the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and were denied.

• Marblehead Teacher Strike Costs February Vacation, 5 More Days

Robidoux said in December that he proposed to DESE possibilities about extended school days and virtual days as ways to make up the time but was told that is not permitted because allowing them "would incentivize unions to strike because there would be no repercussions."

"There's no wiggle room," he said.

Marblehead Public Schools were to be in session three days during April vacation and two more days at the end of June — in addition to this coming Monday and four days during February vacation — to make up for the 10 days lost to last month's teachers' strike. One more day was added to the end of the school year with the snow day last week.

• Marblehead Students Lose 3 April Vacation Days To Teachers Strike Make-Up Days
  

Beverly students will be required to attend classes for five Saturdays —one each in January, February, March, April and May — as part of a plan to make up the 12 school days lost to the strike.

The Saturday option was chosen ahead of the one that would have eliminated April vacation and one that would have added all seven remaining days to be made up at the end of the school year.

Had the School Committee pursued that late-June option, then any snow days prior to April 1 — including the one last week — would have had to be "backfilled" as school days during Saturdays or the April break.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)