VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The Virginia Beach School Board voted to keep an additional 10 minutes added to the school day for the rest of the year.
The extra time went into effect Monday as an effort to make up for time lost on April 21, when schools will close during a special election on voting districts in the commonwealth.
Board member Melinda Rogers proposed allowing a virtual makeup day instead of the extra time they already approved. However, her motion to end the extra time failed Tuesday night, meaning the longer school days will stay through the end of the year.
Every public speaker who addressed the board opposed adding the time to the school day.
"I agree with my daughter when she was upset with them last night about it. It's stupid," Cody Connor said.
Parents also raised concerns about how some schools are taking away time from lunch instead of extending the school day.
"It's taken away lunches, they didn't give any guidance to all of the schools," Connor said.
The board said lunches should not be cut.
"Taking 10 minutes away from lunch and I would hope that regardless of the outcome today that would not occur," Kathleen Brown said.
Others said the schedule change is costing families.
"Teachers are having to pay more in child care cause now they have to leave later some of them are paying up to $10 a minute," Connor said.
Rogers said the state allows flexibility if hour requirements are met.
"I personally contacted the Department of Education and was told that if we meet the 990 hours we don't have to make up the time," Melinda Rogers said.
She called her proposal a temporary fix.
"This is a temporary suspension to address a specific problem within our community," Rogers said.
One parent said he is disappointed that the motion failed.
"I mean the same thing we do with every poor decision they make. We do the best that we can and we try and make do but it's unnecessary pain on the community," Connor said.
The board can vote during the summer if they want to switch to hours permanently or stick to days permanently, but for now, the 10 minutes will continue.
