No Saturday School April 2 for Mansfield Students

Mansfield students won't be going to school Saturday, April 2, after all.

By a 4-1 vote, the school committee decided to cancel the second session. School was held last Saturday. It was a half-day for students and a full day for teachers.

The dates were added when Mansfield had to make-up missed school days because of the winter storms.

Instead, the school committee elected to have school go longer in June, if necessary. Under the teachers' contract, the school year must end June 30. Right now, the final day is June 28.

Now, school officials hope the snowstorms are behind us.

School superintendent Brenda J. Hodges wasn't in favor of the Saturday sessions when it was decided.

"Saturdays aren't good school days," she said at Tuesday night's school committee meeting.

According to Hodges, the Qualters Middle School had the best showing with 15.9 percent of the student body absence. At the high school, 50-percent of the senior class wasn't in school.

School committee member Jean Miller, who was orginally for the Saturday dates, made the move to eliminate the second Saturday. Miller said she didn't see the need for it.

Miller, chairman Michael Trowbridge, vice-chairman Frank DelVecchio and Jim Perry voted for canceling the second Saturday. Lisa Losiewicz voted to keep the April 2 date.

Hodges said the two Saturday dates were picked because of there was a lack of availability with events going on in the schools.

"Saturdays are packed," she said.

(Check back with Mansfield Patch for more coverage of the Mansfield School Committee.)