AUGUSTA, Maine - Members of the Legislature's Education Committee have voted unanimously to recommend an emergency bill to give local school districts another option in making up lost time - a longer school day.
"The emergency measure is because of this winter," says Rep. Victoria Kornfield, a Bangor Democrat. "I mean, if anybody needs to use it, it's going to be for this winter. And I think it passed because it is permissive."
Kornfield says school districts already have several options, such as taking away planned vacation days or teacher training days, as well as meeting on Saturdays to make up for storm days.
She says it might be easier for smaller districts to use the provision of a longer school day than larger school districts.
The proposal now goes to the full Legislature for its consideration.
