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Parents, Students Upset They'll Be In Classroom During Vacation Week

HAMILTON (CBS) -- Although most students in Massachusetts are on vacation this week, students in the Hamilton-Wenham district will be in the classroom.

School officials decided after having eight snow days so crews could clear snow from the schools' roofs, they would cancel February vacation.

But that doesn't sit well with some families who had planned to go away for the week.

Mary Johnson planned a winter break getaway for her 14-year-old son Anders. It would've been his first time on a plane by himself to see his aunt in Virginia.

But the Johnsons cancelled those plans.

"The worst part was having to tell my son. I knew he would be disappointed and I was disappointed too," the mother said.

WBZ-TV's Paul Burton reports.

The school committee had only two options, make up the days now or extend it at the end of the school year which would cut into summer vacation.

"We worked into the most sound decision which was supported by superintend which was to get kids back in the classroom," said Alexa McCloughen, the school committee chairman.

"We have MCAS coming up in March. The kids really need to be prepared for that."

The schools are allowing families who planned vacation to still go on them and have the students make it up the days they miss. But many say it's just not worth the hassle.

The state mandates that schools have 180 days of classes. Many school districts are still deciding how they plan to make up the snow days.

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