OLD ORCHARD BEACH — Following a decision made by the Biddeford School Committee earlier this week, Regional School Unit 23, which serves as the Old Orchard Beach School Department, decided it will hold classes on March 24, a day previously set aside for staff training.

Superintendent John Suttie announced the decision in a memo Thursday to parents and students. 
The RSU has had six snow days this school year. Suttie said the decision will move up the last day of the school year from Monday, June 26 to Friday, June 23. 

State law requires school districts to operate at least 180 days a school year, with at least 175 student instruction days. RSU 23 has 176 student instruction days.

Suttie said when deciding how to accommodate the number of snow days, school officials took into consideration input from business owners and their needs for summer staff.

The Biddeford School Committee voted Tuesday night to use March 24, which the district had also previously scheduled as a staff day, as a student day.

Biddeford Superintendent of Schools Jeremy Ray said Tuesday that, despite warmer weather, he was concerned there may be more snow on the way this school year, and he wanted to make sure people were aware of any calendar changes in advance.

Suttie said he and the superintendents in Biddeford and Saco touch base before creating their district calendars, as they all have students that attend the Biddeford Regional Center of Technology and also have to coordinate students from Dayton who attend their schools. 

Suttie said Ray called him Wednesday with the news, and the RSU then decided to move forward with its announcement.

Suttie said he has done an “informal straw pole” of RSU board members, and the consensus was to use March 24 as a student day.

Suttie said the board won’t officially vote on the matter until its next regularly scheduled board meeting March 16, but he wanted to give people time to plan accordingly.

 —  Staff Writer Liz Gotthelf can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 325 or egotthelf@journaltribune.com.