WINTON – An unexpected break in classes at all Hertford County Public Schools earlier this month due to a snowstorm has prompted a change in the school calendar.

HCPS Superintendent Dr. William T. Wright, Jr. reports that the county’s Board of Education approved his recommended changes to the school calendar when they met in a regularly scheduled session on Jan. 23.

“These changes to the calendar were necessary due to the snow storm and the days of instruction time missed by students during the week of Jan. 9-13, some early release days will become full instructional days,” Wright stated.

The Board of Education approved changing Feb. 16, March 9 and May 23 from previously scheduled early release days to full instructional days at all of the county’s public schools, with the exception of the Early College High School.

Meanwhile, the Early College High School calendar has been modified to change March 14 from an early release day to a full instructional day.

Snow and ice that fell on Friday, Jan. 6 and Saturday, Jan. 7 ranged between two to eight inches across the Roanoke-Chowan area. Local roadways, especially secondary routes, remained too treacherous to travel thanks to temperatures not rising above freezing on successive days following the winter storm.

The majority of public schools in the Roanoke-Chowan area were closed on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (Jan. 9-11) as a result of icy roads.

Hertford County Public Schools policy calls for weather-related make-up days on scheduled teacher workdays, Saturdays, early release days, and/or report card pick-up days. Policy also allows the county’s school officials to slightly extend a series of school days (each by 15-to-30 minutes) to make up for any classroom instruction lost due to inclement weather.

Wright said the use of any scheduled holidays from school are typically used as a last resort.