Two schools holding make-up days on Presidents Day

CNJ staff photo: Liliana Castillo Marshall Middle School English teacher Leslie Chavez works on a lesson with her seventh-grade students.

Two schools in eastern New Mexico will be holding classes on Presidents Day to make up for snow day closures.

Logan and Portales’ schools will be in session Monday despite having extra days built into their calendar. Officials at both schools say it is because the extra days are now gone after recent winter storms.

Clovis schools will be off for the holiday.

The New Mexico Public Education Department requires schools to be in session for 180 days (1,080 hours), said Beverly Friedman, NMPED public information officer.

Portales and Logan schools were each closed two days for snow that fell in Curry, Quay and Roosevelt counties in early February.

“At this time Clovis schools will not have to make up the two missed days,” Cindy Martin said Friday. Martin is Deputy Superintendent of Instruction for the Clovis schools.

“Clovis has a longer school day than what is required by the state,” Martin said. “Because of the longer school day we do not have to make up the days.”

Portales also has extra days built into the calendar but has opted to hold classes.

“We have some days built into the school year for emergencies or weather closures,” Portales Superintendent Randy Fowler said. “I am looking at our hours to see if we have to make up any (other) time.”

Logan schools have traditionally used extra days built into the school calendar to let students attend basketball tournaments, said Logan Principal Gary Miller.

Logan will dismiss classes at 12:30 p.m. Monday.

“We like to give the students a chance to go and support their team,” Miller said. “With the way the weather has gone, we do not believe we will be able to do that this year.”

Martin said in the event of future closures, Clovis schools’ cabinet would meet to discuss a make-up day.

“They would review which holidays the school has set to observe,” Martin said. “A day would be selected out of those dates to make up for the lost day.”