The Watauga County Board of Education has voted to extend the length of the school day starting next academic year.
Elementary and middle schools in Watauga County will have an extra 25 minutes added to each day. The high school will get an extra ten.
The move is a response to the yearly issue of lost instructional time due to inclement weather. A work group made up of teachers and parents studying the issue found that, on average, the district misses about 14 days of school a year.
When that happens, officials have to implement remote learning or tack on extra days into the summer to meet the state’s instructional hour requirements.
By adding a small amount of time to each school day, the district hopes to have more flexibility when it comes to future weather-related closures.
Officials surveyed families and staff, who largely supported the idea. The changes will go into effect in the 2026-27 school year.