LEWISTON – The School Committee unanimously voted Monday to approve late starts for classes when the road conditions are poor.

The new policy gives Superintendent Bill Webster the authority to cancel school for the day or start a few hours later to give time for road conditions to improve.

Last month, the committee put off deciding on late arrival because it wanted feedback from parents, students and staff. Webster held an online survey. Through emails and messenger calls, he invited staff, students and parents to voice their opinion.

“I was pleased that we had 1,859 responses,” he said.

The responses showed 21 percent against late starts and 78 percent in favor of delayed starts and/or early dismissal.

Last year, there were several storms that ended by 5 a.m., but crews needed three or four hours to make roads safe. If Webster had the authority to call late arrival, it would have meant fewer snow days to make up in June.

Webster said he’s only asking for the authority to call a late arrival, not early dismissals.

“Maybe down the road we think about early dismissal,” he said. “But I, as I know many of you, expressed concern about kids going home at the end of the day to empty houses. We probably have enough of that happening already.”

Webster said he’ll continue to work with Auburn Superintendent Katy Grondin to try to reach a mutual decision on snow days or late arrivals since many parents live and work in both cities.

In the five years the Lewiston and Auburn superintendents have held early morning calls about whether there should be school, they’ve always reached the same conclusion except one time last year when Auburn called a late start, Lewiston called off classes for the day.

Before the vote, committee member Paul St. Pierre asked what percentage of the staff and parents participated in the survey. Webster estimated about two-thirds of the staff responded and one third of parents.

“That is my only concern, that two-thirds of the parent population chose to have no say or weren’t aware they had a say,” St. Pierre said.

Committee member Tom Shannon countered that 33 percent of parents who responded is a higher percentage than voter turnout at some elections.

St. Pierre asked for a review of the new policy at the end of the school year.

The committee voted that the late arrival policy will expire on June 30, 2016, so there can be a review before a reauthorization.

Committee Chairman Jim Handy said he has concerns about children being left home alone, whether it’s the beginning or end of the day. “Some parents go to work early, even before school is called off. It’s very important we keep our eye on the ball as this policy is implemented.”

Lewiston girls hockey accepting Monmouth players

LEWISTON — The School Committee gave high school Athletic Director Jason Fuller permission Monday to allow Monmouth Academy and Oak Hill High School students to play girls ice hockey with the Lewiston team.

Fuller said the number of players this year is about 10. Monmouth Academy has two girls who want to play.

“It’s a win-win for us,” Fuller said. “It allows us to have a couple of extra kids on the ice, it allows them an opportunity to play.”

The team will be named Lewiston Monmouth Blue Devils, Fuller said.

Fuller said he is interested in allowing girls from Oak Hill High School in Wales to play ice hockey with Lewiston, but he hasn’t worked out that arrangement.

School Committee members asked what happens in the future if there are too many from Lewiston and Monmouth who want to play.

Fuller said he’d develop a junior varsity girls team.

In other business the School Committee approved a plan to bond money to update an antiquated phone system in schools. The School Department will work with the city, which has the expertise, Facilities Director Joe Perryman said.

The cost will be $534,442 for the School Department and $65,454 to the city.

Perryman said 75 percent of the phone systems are obsolete.

Before phone systems are upgraded, bond approval will be needed by the City Council.