TURNER – To prevent more school days lost due to storms, SAD 52 has changed its policy, and on Monday will allow late arrival.

Out of consideration to working parents, the policy has been to have school start on time or called off. Beginning Monday, Superintendent Darlene Burdin will have the option of calling a two-hour delayed start.

Parents have been given transportation forms in case their child needs to take a different bus because of the late start, she said.

The school district, which encompasses Greene, Leeds and Turner, has had 13 school closing days this winter due to storms. Five snow days were built into the calendar, which leaves the district with eight to make up. Parents have been asked to fill out surveys indicating if they favor converting teacher workshop days to regular class days, losing the Friday of the April vacation, extending the school year, and/or going to school on some Saturdays.

Thursday night, the school board approved changing the two remaining teacher workshop days, March 21 and 27, to regular school days.

Meanwhile, Burdin will apply for a waiver on the mandatory 170-day school year for high school seniors. Burdin is requesting that waiver from the Maine Department of Education to allow seniors to graduate June 8 as planned, she said.

State law says the minimum days in a school year is 175 days, except for seniors, which is 170 days.

– Bonnie Washuk