Here’s how Hillsborough schools will make up for lost time for Milton

Hillsborough County schools will eliminate nearly all of their early dismissal days for the rest of the year, in part to make up for time lost due to Hurricane Milton, but their major seasonal breaks will not change, the district said Wednesday.

The district will also waive first-semester exams for middle and high school students, except for students who need a test to earn course credit or improve their grade, said district spokeswoman Tanya Arja.

The district had already waived early dismissal days for most of the remainder of the first semester, which now runs through mid-January, to make up for the three days it lost to Hurricane Helene. After eight more school days before and after Milton were canceled, it was decided to convert all early dismissal days into regular days in the second semester.

The district said middle and high school credit courses will be extended by two minutes in the second semester. This change could impact start and end times at these levels, and the district will notify families the week of December 2nd.

There are also changes to two student days off in the second semester. Feb. 14, Florida State Fair Day, remains a day of rest for most students, but 27 schools on the east side of Hillsborough County will be in session that day. March 3rd, the Strawberry Festival, remains a day off for schools in the East, but is now a school day for everyone else.

These schools in East Hillsborough are: Bailey, Bryan PC, Buckhorn, Burney, Cork, Dover, Jackson, Knights, Lincoln Magnet, Nelson, Pinecrest, Robinson, Springhead, Trapnell, Valrico, Walden Lake and Wilson PC elementary schools; middle schools in Marshall, Mulrennan, Tomlin and Turkey Creek; high schools in Durant, Plant City and Strawberry Crest; and Simmons Exceptional Center, Willis Peters Exceptional Center and Simmons Career Acceleration Academy.

Rob Kriete, president of the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association, said earlier this week that survey results showed most teachers would rather forego early dismissal days than other options, such as extending school days or canceling scheduled vacations. That change means they will work the same hours but lose planning time, which Kriete said the union would likely make up for by asking the district to forego faculty meetings.