EBR schools schedule amended

After asking for feedback from employees and others, the East Baton Rouge Parish school system announced Thursday it will make up four instructional days lost in late August due to Hurricane Isaac by having full days of school the week before Christmas.

Now, Dec. 17 to 21 will be regular school days. Prior to the announcement, Dec. 17 to 19 were to be half days, and Dec. 20 and 21 were to be holidays. Winter break will now begin Dec. 24. Employees will return from break on Jan. 3, and students will follow Jan. 7.

“I wanted to get this information to parents and guardians in a timely manner so they can adjust holiday vacation plans accordingly,” Superintendent Bernard Taylor said in a statement. “The patience and support of our parents is appreciated as we ensure all our students receive their full instruction time while still maintaining as much of our existing calendar schedule as possible.”

The school system first floated the proposed makeup schedule Sept. 11 on its website and sought feedback. Sonya Gordon, public information officer for the system, said those who commented were either fine with the change or didn’t object to it.