Sanford signs bill forgiving two snow days

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A bill passed by the Legislature and signed by Gov. Mark Sanford cleared the way for the school board to let students start spring break on April 7 and stay home May 31 for a teachers' professional development day.

The forgiven school days came as a relief for students and parents planning vacations. Teresa Walton said her daughter, a J.L. Mann High freshman, won't have to miss class when they go to Pennsylvania for a family reunion.

"I always make vacation plans for spring break, and that's hard to get out of," she said.

Snow and ice led to class cancellations five days this school year, but the district had just three make-up days built into its schedule. Students will still have to make up those days.

Summer vacation will be a day shorter and spring break will be two fewer days.

The class time will be made up on April 5 and 6 and June 4. Those are spring days when the weather is more likely to be warm enough to play outside than too icy to drive.

But the days that were forgiven delighted Darlene Knight, a mother of two J.L. Mann High students.

Knight said she's glad her daughter, Lauren, will miss three days instead of four when she goes to Italy for spring break and that students, parents and teachers will be able to take a much-needed rest.

"From Christmas to June is kind of hard without a break," she said.

Last year, Sanford vetoed "local legislation" that forgave missed school days, calling it unconstitutional. The Legislature overrode the veto.

Sanford didn't veto the legislation this year because a new state law makes it agree with the state constitution, said spokesman Will Folks. The law requires school districts to build in make-up days and forgiven days to be approved by the Legislature.

"Greenville followed the procedure," Folks said.

Students sat out Feb. 26 and 27, giving them a long weekend, as snow and ice coated Upstate roads.

School board trustee Tommie Reece said that requiring students to make up the days could have interfered with high school graduations or interrupted after-school activities, such as sports.

"There's just not any good way to make it up," she said.

Paul Alongi can be reached at 298-4746.