Philadelphia public schools closed tomorrow
With a major storm expected to dump a foot or more of snow on the region beginning tonight, Philadelphia public schools will be closed tomorrow, officials announced this afternoon.
The district's administrative and regional offices are also closed, as are early learning centers. There will be no after school activities, either.
The School Reform Commission meeting scheduled for 2 p.m. tomorrow has also been postponed one week.
Makeup days are definitely in the forecast. Monday's snow day, plus tomorrow's and any more that may result - will have to be made up.
The Philadelphia School District built 181 instructional days into its calendar, one more than the 180 Pennsylvania requires for districts to receive state funding.
That single extra day was used on Dec. 21 after a heavy snowstorm blanketed the city.
Now, spokesman Fernando Gallard said, administrators must decide where to make the snow days. There are two options - having students attend school on a day currently set aside for teacher training, or adding a day to the end of the school year.
Students are set to finish June 17, and teachers June 18.
Either way, all students and staff will have off next Monday as scheduled, Gallard said. It's Presidents' Day, and holidays won't be used as makeup days, he said. Spring break - March 29 to April 2 - won't be considered for makeup time either, he said.
It's unclear whether more makeup days will be required.
Contact staff writer Kristen Graham at 215-854-5146 or kgraham@phillynews.com.
