The Board of Education has decided that students will not have to make up the school days missed during the week of Jan 8. and Jan 15. The last day of school for students will remain June 4, as originally planned, an email to the D225 staff said.

South has extra days built into their calendar which will allow students to still meet the minimum requirement for days of school, Principal Dr. Barbara Georges said. Students must attend school for 176 days, according to the Illinois State Board of Education.

“[The Board] had to vote on a decision and file it with the state,” Georges said.

Georges does not believe that this will affect students’ learning in any way.

“We have phenomenal staff here at GBS who are masterful at planning and adjusting curriculum.” Georges said “While I know the lost days did have an impact on the start of the semester, I am confident that teachers have worked to adapt and adjust curricular calendars since January.”

This decision will help students, and their families because it means that they will not have to adjust their summer schedules to accommodate second semester finals, Georges said.

Georges is very appreciative of the Board for making this decision now, instead of postponing it.

“I am grateful the board of education made this decision in March instead of later in the year.” Georges said “Our teachers need to be able to plan accordingly so knowing the layout allows them to finalize their curriculum planning and allows for the creation of the final exam schedules.”