By Maire Crooks, News Editor
On Tuesday, November 2, the HCPSS Board of Education unanimously voted to add a three hour early dismissal day on one Wednesday each month.
The new early dismissal days will go into effect starting December 15th to “provide school-based staff with additional time to address increased staff workload and to support employee well-being,” according to Board member Vicky Cutroneo on Facebook.
“I think [the added early dismissal days are] good,” explains Tyler Massaro, a sophomore at River Hill. He plans to do homework in his newfound free time.
Helen Yeung (10) agrees with Tyler, adding that she thinks they “will help mentally.” She would love to have the early dismissal days increased to once a week, and even hopes to “have Wednesdays off” eventually.
However, others believe that the decision is a vote against students. Many say the early dismissal will take away valuable instructional time and disrupt a routine school week. Cutroneo describes the Board’s reasoning for doing this, explaining that “6 Wednesday afternoons are a lifeline for many of our educators, paraeducators and support staff who feel like they [are] barely hanging on.” She claims that “a vote to support educators is not a vote against students or parents.”
The early dismissal days for the remainder of the 2021-22 school year are as follows: December 15th, January 19th, February 16th, March 16th, April 27th, and May 18th. The majority of students and teachers alike eagerly await their extra three hours of personal time with the hopes that these added days aid their mental health.