POPLARVILLE — The Poplarville School District, following a lengthy discussion at the school board’s Sept. 10 meeting, announced the schedule for making up the four days missed because of hurricane Isaac.

Glenda Malley, curriculum coordinator said, after contacting the state Department of Education regarding making up the four days, that as of Monday, Sept. 10, it appeared the schools would be required to make up the four days.

“It looks like the Poplarville district will have to make up the four days unless they, for some reason, decide that we do not.” She added that an e-mail instructed administrators to go ahead and send the paperwork on the matter, but said “this does not mean that you will be forgiven the days. We just have to tell them what we plan to do ... and how we would make our days up.”

Malley said when the district looked at the school schedule prior to the Christmas holiday, administrators had to be sure that students involved in state subject area testing in December, including preparation time, would not have a conflict with the make-up days. The four days missed will be made up by using four scheduled holidays, according to Mississippi Department of Education guidelines.

The four scheduled days off in which school will meet as usual are:

— The Fair holiday, Sept. 14: This was scheduled as a Talk 12 Day where students reported to school as usual but are released at 1 p.m.

— The Fall Holiday, Oct. 19: Classes will meet all day.

— Monday and Tuesday of the Thanksgiving Week Holiday, Nov. 19-20: Classes will meet all day.

School board member Tommy Strahan asked if would create a conflict for the six high school cheerleaders scheduled to participate in the Thanksgiving parade in New York, but was told that is an approved exemption. Another member asked about 4-H students who were exhibiting in the county fair, which again is approved as excused.

Donna Knezevich, a local resident attending the meeting, asked if a set number of days could be added to the school calendar as “hurricane days” in anticipation of this type of situation. She said growing up in the North, schools allowed for a certain number of “snow days” if bad weather forced the closure of schools.

Strahan said while that might be a possibility, the dates for the start of school were due to be moved back three weeks in 2014 because of legislative action changing the time for the start of school.

Board member Sambo Gentry made the motion to adopt the amended schedule, saying “They’re (student and parents) going to be mad either way.” It was passed unanimously.

Another question arose regarding teachers’ and other staff members’ pay during the hurricane days. Sandifer said the days could be counted as administrative leave or salaries could be lowered to reflect the four days lost and then added as the days were made up.

Board members questioned whether this would create a hardship for some employees until such time as the pay was made up when the days were used.

Sandifer said the problem with the second option was that the Department of Labor did not consider that legal, even though she said some school districts she had canvassed were taking that route.

“I don’t make that recommendation because by Department of Labor, it’s not technically an option.”

She said if it was classed as administrative leave, personnel would eventually get their pay.

Gentry said, “I say if they weren’t here during the storm days, they don’t get paid. And, when they come here — we got to have them here for the four make-up days — they get paid them days. The storm was hard on a bunch of people; you can’t please them all.”

Sandifer said if that option is approved by the board, another issue arises because of FEMA and the unemployment department. She said if employees file unemployment for those four days, “we will end up paying a significant portion of it in the end.”

That prompted a frustrated Gentry to say, “How are we going to make a decision?”

Sandifer said she recommended the hourly people using available leave time and Gentry agreed, saying, “That’s the best way for us, financially.”

The matter was further complicated because of two different pay grades from the varying number of staff positions: Hourly staff, part-time staff, bus drivers and others who have different benefits or no benefits.

Gentry said they should do what was best for the school’s budget and “quit worrying about feelings.”

He moved to accept Sandifer’s recommendation of using available leave time, if the employee ’s position had that option. Otherwise, payment would not be made until the time was used as the days were made up.

In other matters, the board:

— Received a report on the attendance initiative currently being tried at the schools, Denim Days, where, if a school achieves an attendance goal, students at that school are allowed to deviate from the dress code on a given day.

—Safe Harbor grant disbursement of funds moved and accepted; approved Pitney Bowes rental agreement; approved district employees handbook; accepted recommendation of resignations; accepted bid on sale of three school buses for approximately $3,300;

— Discussed negotiated proposal for a hunting and fishing lease and voted to resubmit the matter back to the Secretary of State’s office for further action; accepted bid for tree planting and bid for sale of timber on 138 acres at $239,000 on Section 16-2-17.

— Discussed ad valorem tax situation in light of continuing discussions at the county level regarding the budget for the 2012-13 budget year.

— Accepted the consent agenda.

— Went into executive session on a student matter, and on coming out of the session, voted to expel the student.

Adjourned until 6 p.m., Monday, Oct. 8.