Racine Unified Goes Back To June 10 As The Last School Day

The Racine Unified School District Board of Education on Wednesday quickly agreed to a plan that will make Friday, June 10 the last day of classes and avoid an estimated $478,000 in additional employee pay.

The School Board unanimously approved a resolution which states that “a threat to the health and safety of pupils” was behind the Feb. 17 cancellation of classes. That allows the state Department of Public Instruction to count the day as one of the 180 days that RUSD must be in session.

Kids were originally scheduled to end the school year on June 8 but because of snow days, the end of the year was pushed to June 10. Because of the Feb. 17 cancellation, the school year was then slated to end on Mon., June 13 with a potential cost to the district of $500,000.

The district and the Racine Education Association (REA), the union representing teachers, worked out an arrangement to make up for the missing instructional time, said Keri Hanstedt, RUSD employee relations manager. The time will be made up by:

• Eliminating a planned early release day on Friday, May 13.
• Making Friday, June 10 a full day for elementary and middle school students.
• Adjusting the starting and ending times by a minute at middle and high schools.
• Adjusting passing times, lunch period use, exam schedules and homeroom schedules at middle and high schools.

Superintendent Dr. Jim Shaw said the adjustments started Wednesday at some middle and high schools in anticipation of the School Board’s action.

The only public comment prior to the Board vote was from Pete Knotek, REA president, who urged the School Board to approve the plan.

“The proposal that has been developed is best for the school district, teachers and taxpayers,” he said.

Shaw also talked up the plan. “Most of these suggestions came from our teachers and our union leadership. They are due some compliments for helping us develop these changes.

RUSD officials called off school on Feb. 17 after about 25 percent of the district’s teaching staff called in sick during protests against state budget proposals.

District officials had originally planned to add an extra day to the school calendar to make up the time. That plan, approved by the School Board on April 18, attracted national attention when it was reported that the district expected to spend nearly $500,000. District officials said at the time that they would try to find less expensive alternatives.