School Closures Extend into June as Blizzard Disrupts Academic Calendar The historic blizzard that struck Plymouth last week has left parents like Nicole Voudren grappling with the fallout of extended school closures. Beyond power outages and limited heating, the storm has forced families to confront an unexpected dilemma: when will their children return to school after the summer? With multiple districts in Southeastern Massachusetts adding snow days to their calendars, the academic calendar is now stretched beyond the state-mandated 180 days, raising concerns about summer plans and compliance with state requirements. In Plymouth, the storm’s impact has already pushed the school year past the required five end-of-year make-up days, leaving just one day remaining in June. Voudren, whose son Jacob is enrolled in a basketball camp starting June 29, faces the possibility of missing the final school day. “We might not even send him to school on the last day,” she said, highlighting the difficult choices parents are making. Similar challenges are emerging across the region, with some districts already exceeding the state’s snow day allowance and others facing the risk of shortening April vacation or holding weekend classes to meet requirements. Rhode Island officials are considering an emergency reduction of the school year to address the crisis. Education Commissioner Angélica Infante-Green has requested a waiver from the state school board, though the exact number of days to be waived remains undetermined. Meanwhile, Massachusetts has stricter rules, allowing waivers only for days missed in April or later. Despite this, many districts, including Plymouth, Fall River, Falmouth, and Taunton, have already canceled school for the entire week, pushing their calendars into late June.#massachusetts #plymouth #nicole_voudren #jacob #anglica_infantegreen
