Superstorm Sandy Extends Darien School Year to June 18

Because Darien Public Schools closed for five days (but then stayed open for Election Day to make up one of them), the school year will be extended four days to June 18, Superintendent Steven Falcone explained at a recent Board of Education meeting.

If Darien gets more snow days, then the school year will extend further into June, he said, moving it from June 18 (a Tuesday) up to at least Friday, June 21.

But we're not even in winter yet, and even more snow days could shut down school this winter, Falcone said. If that happens, Falcone suggested removing one of the professional development days, in which teachers report to work but students don't.

If the school system were shut down for still more days, Falcone said, he would prefer to retain the February and April vacation weeks but keep extending the school year into June.

On July 1, Darien's five-week summer school is scheduled to begin. The school year would have to be extended six more days to create a scheduling conflict with that.

School was canceled in late October largely out of concern for unsafe roads, some of which had live wires down or fallen trees, making it harder for students to get to school or a bus stop without greater risk of an accident.

Damage to Darien's schools was minimal during the storm, Falcone said. Three windows were broken at Hindley School, but that was just about it, he said.