MABANK -- Mabank High School sophomore Tera Grimes was out of school early Friday and working in her aunt's soda shop. Monday - Memorial Day - she'll be back at school, catching up on classes missed during bad winter weather.
'Not many people are going to come,' Grimes said, 'because their parents are going to keep them home so that they can go out on the lake with their family and have the fun day that they were supposed to.'
It was a tough call, but school district officials decided to use Memorial Day as a makeup day rather than extending the school year, which ends the following Monday, June 2. Other makeup days have fallen on holidays before, including Good Friday, according to the district's superintendent, Dr. Russell Marshall.
Even so, some people questioned the choice.
'My older brother is in the Marines and I know that to them it's a big deal for us to get Memorial Day out because we honor them on that day,' Grimes said.
Marshall said Monday won't just be another makeup day. It won't even be a typical school day. At the high school, they will recognize staff members who are veterans, as well as those who have family members who are veterans, in addition to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
'I think it's an excellent idea -- absolutely an excellent idea,' Donna Cooper said.
She said if the kids are going to be in school, it's a great opportunity to teach them about the holiday's true meaning. She also said she'd heard through her grandchildren that other districts across the state were having school on Memorial Day because of inclement weather.
Superintendent Marshall said in a statement given to News 8, 'Mabank ISD values the Memorial Day holiday and what it stands for. Our students and employees will be involved in many activities at every campus celebrating and learning about the sacrifices made by the men and women of this great country.'
E-mail cwade@wfaa.com
