Some teachers, parents request that schools close Jan. 20

By Amanda Stewart

Published: November 19, 2008

When President-elect Barack Obama is sworn in Jan. 20, some local teachers, parents and children want to be there.

But as of right now, most of them will be in the classroom.

Prince William County Schools are scheduled to be open on Jan. 20, but some local parents and teachers are asking the School Board to change that.

At Tuesday’s board meeting, one parent, Tracey Brooks, said she hoped the School Board would make inauguration day a holiday, now and in the future.

“The experience and impact of actually participating in an event is far more educational and valuable than just watching it on television or hearing about it from others,” Brooks said.

She’s not the first parent to ask, board members said.

“We have all received a number of e-mails about this,” Grant Lattin, board representative from Occoquan, said at the meeting.

As it stands now, students who are attending the inauguration can take an excused absence to do so, school officials said.

But the date falls in the middle of high school exams and is a scheduled parent-teacher conference day for elementary schools, where a half-day is currently scheduled.

And a school board policy could prevent teachers and school staff members from taking leave that day, which falls the day after Martin Luther King Jr. Day, already a school holiday, Prince William Education Association president Bonnie Klakowicz said at the meeting.

“I suggested to Dr. [Stephen L.] Walts that we declare Jan. 20 a snow day,” Klakowicz said.

School board members said they understand the concerns and, while they haven’t made a decision yet, they want to talk about it.

They plan to discuss the possibility of closing schools that day at their December meeting.

“Whether we adopt a change at all would be determined that night, but I think it’s worth talking about,” Lattin said.

Board member Denita Ramirez, Woodbridge, said she’d support the change.

“I would definitely support this day in history as a day off for all students and staff to be able to attend,” said Ramirez.

Prince William County has never closed schools on inauguration day, Ramirez said.

So far, both Manassas and Manassas Park schools will be open on Jan. 20.

Some other area school districts, including Fairfax County, will be closed.

Staff writer Amanda Stewart can be reached at 703-878-8014.