Schools in three Mississippi counties who had to cancel classes following a destructive tornado outbreak in February will have to reschedule those days.
The Mississippi Board of Education reported Friday (March 15) that they decided that the school districts in Forrest including Hattiesburg, Lamar and Wayne counties will have to make up a day lost as a result of the Feb. 10 tornadoes.
The school districts had asked the board for permission to teach students for fewer than 180 days this year, the minimum required by state law, but those requests were denied.
Five tornadoes tore across South Mississippi on Feb. 10, impacting parts of six counties including Marion, Lawrence, Lamar, Forrest, Perry and Wayne. The strongest and most destructive was a long-tracked EF-4 tornado that tore a path of over 20 miles from Lamar County across Forrest County and into western Perry County.
The Hattiesburg district was closed for three school days after the tornado, while the Lamar County district was closed for two. Wayne County school district was closed for one day after two brief tornadoes hit their area.
Hattiesburg and Lamar County each made up one day by holding school on Presidents Day, Feb. 18. They asked to have the remaining time waived. Wayne County hasn’t made up its missed day.
The board did agree to waive an extra day that Lamar County’s Oak Grove High School was closed.
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