After school days lost from Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton, the newly announced make-up dates have spurred conflicting opinions. Early dismissal Fridays have been canceled for all of November and the first week of December.

“I think extending those Fridays has a very minimal impact,” Principal Burt Clark said, “It stinks because we like getting out early, but we’re already here.”

Students like junior Jaelynn Lettsome are indifferent to these extended days.

“It doesn’t really matter to me,” Lettsome said. “We’re at school already, so an extra hour isn’t a huge deal.”

Additionally, the extended Fridays, Feb. 17 and April 18, previously student holidays, are now regular school days.

“[April 18] is Good Friday, which could potentially become a problem for [students] who are looking to take that off for religious purposes,” Clark said, “But at the school level we’ll work through that if people need to miss that day.”

Some students—like junior Ryleigh Donohue—disagree with the district’s decision to take away those long weekends, believing that student workloads are too large at that time and the small breaks are necessary.

“Taking away those [breaks] off at the end of the year is a bad idea,” Donohue said. “That’s when [students] are the most stressed, because of finals and exams.”

The district ruled to not use the three available make-up days of Nov. 25-27, so students will still have the full week off for Thanksgiving Break.

“I think the primary goal was protecting family vacation time,” Clark said. “[Extended Fridays] are minimal, versus a family who has already planned on taking a cruise or going up to visit family and [having to] decide to do that or miss school.”

The school district appealed to the state to attempt to get the days lost waived, but the request was denied.

“I think what they’ve decided to do was probably the best for all parties, students, teachers, and families,” Clark said.