PIKEVILLE, Ky. — The Pike County School District has announced its plans for students to return to the classroom, as well as how the district will make up missed time.

In a letter to parents, Pike County Schools says it will now return to class on March 10, making three full weeks missed due to the flood, in addition to time missed due to snow and ice earlier in the school year. The district is also canceling spring break and will begin adding 30 minutes to each school day.

The additional time each day will not only allow the district to make up time more quickly, but it will also allow the district to take advantage of a bill currently in the legislature which appears headed toward passage.

Under state law, students are required to receive 1,062 hours of instruction over the course of 170 school days. House Bill 241 would allow the commissioner of education to waive up to five school days for districts that would not be able to provide the instructional time by June 4. However, districts that do not extend the instructional day are not eligible for the five-day waiver.

As it stands now, Pike County students are now scheduled to be in school until May 30 or June 2. However, that could change if additional days are missed.

A copy of the letter sent to parents is reprinted below: