A one-two punch by Mother Nature…the first shortly after the start of school late last summer and the other last month as the end of school approached…will keep students in the Chadron Public Schools in classes two days longer than expected.

Superintendent Dr Caroline Winchester says the school calendar had a couple extra days built in in case of snow days, but the combination of fire, snow, and the time needed to meet state student assessment requirements overwhelmed that safety margin.

Winchester says all of the Chadron schools would meet the state minimum for instructional hours without the extra days, but that one would be close. Teacher contract requirements also came into play.

Students will now have their last day of class on Wednesday the 22nd…with the district holding a public picnic over the noon hour…while teachers will have their last day on the 24th so they can attend a health and mental health in-service training day.