Midland Park November 28, 2012 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 3 Midland Park public school students will be attending a half day of school on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, Jan. 21, 2013, to make up one of the school days lost due to Hurricane Sandy. Board member Sandra Criscenzo, who recommended the change, said no decision had been made about the remaining three days that must be made up as well. She said the board wanted to wait until January to see if any other weather-related closings were needed. Trustee Tim Thomas said that if the make up days are scheduled in February, there is still the chance that other emergency days will be needed later in the winter, interfering with two vacation weeks instead of one. One school day to be made up on MLK Day According to the board’s resolution modifying the 20122013 district calendar, students will now have an early dismissal day on Jan. 21, and district staff will have a half day of professional development. The previous calendar provided only a staff development day, with school closed for students. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Marie Cirasella said that the standard past practice has been to take the make up days from the spring break so that people could plan accordingly. She said everyone involved would be notified with plenty of advance notice if it’s decided to take the days from the February break. She stressed the Governor had made it clear that there would be no waiver from the 180- day state requirement. The Midland Park school calendar includes 183 teaching days as per contract with the teachers’ union. “We don’t want to give any days up,” said board member Peter Triolo. The schools were closed for eight days following the storm last month, but two of those days were made up immediately by opening school on the days previously set aside for the NJ Education Association’s convention, which was cancelled. Two emergency days were already built into the 2012-13 school calendar, and they can be applied to this school closing if no additional days are needed. “We’re hoping for a mild winter,” Dr. Cirasella said.