NEW CUMBERLAND – While Superintendent Dan Enich said state officials were receptive to Hancock County Schools’ plea for a waiver over the use of additional weather days this year, no such waiver was approved and additional adjustments are being made to the calendar for the current school year.

The county board of education, during its meeting Monday, approved a recommendation from Enich, which will officially extend the school year as well as adjust the county’s upcoming Easter break.

Enich noted Hancock County was among more than 20 West Virginia school districts applying with the West Virginia Department of Education for a waiver to the state-required 180 instructional days as a result weather.

“The state department was very receptive,” Enich said, noting, though, waivers were approved only for counties affected by widespread flooding earlier this year.

Each county typically is provided five snow days and five remote days per school year, with any additional days needing to be made up.

Hancock County Schools used an additional three weather days, according to information provided by Enich.

“Sometimes we win and sometimes we don’t,” Enich said. “We’re moving on.”

The full adjustments, as approved Monday, include changing Thursday to a student instructional day with a two-hour early dismissal for Faculty Senate, with Monday being a full instructional day.

As previously discussed by the board, June 4 will now be a full instructional day, with June 5 set as the final day for students with a two-hour early dismissal for Faculty Senate.

June 6 will now be the final day for teachers.

Enich noted the changes had been posted on the Hancock County Schools Facebook page, with notifications also sent to faculty, staff, and parents last week.

When asked by board members if there had been any pushback to the decisions, Enich said he had heard of a few complaints, but explained the school system has few options remaining.

“There’s just so much you can do with the structure of the calendar,” he said.