Town shortens schools’ spring break.

GREENWICH — More than 80 percent of parents and 85 percent of teachers in the Greenwich Public Schools prefer shortening spring break for students to include more days of distance learning, according to recent surveys.

This clear response led Board of Education Members to vote unanimously to make changes in spring break, a vote held Thursday night via a virtual meeting.

“We don’t often get surveys with such strong results in one direction,” board member Christina

Downey said. “It’s a good indicator of where the pulse is.”

The board voted unanimously to make Easter a long weekend. Students will be take off Good Friday, April 10, and the following Monday, April 13.

The rest of that week — April 14 to April 17 — will become days of distance learning.

All public schools are closed at least through April 20, per an order by Gov. Ned Lamont.

The Survey Monkey sent to parents from the district generated about 3,700 responses, Superintendent Toni Jones said — an overwhelming response rate, with 9,000 students in the Greenwich Public School District.

The Greenwich Education Association, the local teachers union, surveyed the teachers, who showed an even stronger preference for changing spring break.

The superintendent told parents in an email this week explaining the change.

“There are concerns that breaking routines for a week when students must stay inside would not be beneficial, and could cause social distancing to be more challenging for our families and students,” Jones wrote to parents. “This issue is especially concerning now that school fields, parks and beaches are all closed.”

While the Board of Education supported modifying the calendar, the state Department of Education has not clarified policies on reporting and recording attendance rates, Jones said.

About an hour before the Thursday meeting, which began at 7 p.m., Jones told the school board that she had received word from the office of Connecticut’s Commissioner of Education, Miguel Cardona, that he hopes hope to weigh in on grades and attendance by April 20. This is the new last day of the extended school closure.

Also, Lamont, through an executive ordered signed Thursday, has suspended school testing assessments for the 2019-20 school year. “Recognizing that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a major disruption on schools, the order waives all annual student assessment test requirements for the current school year,” said a statement from his office.