Rockdale County Public Schools is asking for input from parents, students and employees on an option that might restore the February winter break next week and still make up for lost time from the recent snow days.

That option would add 30 minutes to each of the remaining school days.

RCPS is conducting an online survey which states:

"It is entirely likely and probable that RCPS students will be faced with the loss of an additional three instructional days due to this latest storm. Obviously, this could not be known at the time we designated our February winter intercession days as snow make-up days."

The Rockdale school board voted on Friday, Feb. 7, to use Monday-Wednesday (Feb. 17-19) of the winter intersession to make up for the snow days from Feb. 5-7. The school system had conducted a phone and online survey before that vote a received 5,000 responses favoring the Monday-Wednesday option.

The survey continues:

"Due to the fact that we may now be facing the possibility of seven lost instructional days to our shortened school calendar, we are seeking staff, parent, and community input on a potential option to add approximately 30 minutes to the end of each school day for the rest of this school year to effectively recover these valuable lost instructional minutes. This option will result in the full winter intercession next week being restored as well as the March 14th Professional Learning Day."

Earlier in the year in a separate vote, the board decided to use the March 14 teacher work day, where students were originally scheduled to be off, as a full instructional day to make up for school being closed to students on Jan. 7 due to the extreme cold.

The survey then asks,

"Do you support adding approximately 30 minutes at the end of each school day for the remainder of the school year to effectively make up lost instructional time?"

The options are:

"Yes, I support adding approximately 30 minutes to the end of each school day for the remainder of the school year. I understand this option restores the full winter intercession next week and the March 14th Professional Learning Day. This means that students and teachers will not be in school next week."

or

"No, I do not support this option."

The survey can be found at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QXP3XYC or by going to the RCPS homepage at rockdale.k12.ga.us and clicking on "Make Up Days Survey"

During the board's discussion on Friday, Feb. 7, Superintendent Richard Autry emphasized the importance of having more instructional days before important tests, such as the CRCTs or Georgia High School Graduation Tests, are taken. Board member Sharon Pharr asked the Superintendent to look into alternatives for restoring the lost time during the snow days, since many families had already made plans during the intercession.