Due to low performance, three elementary schools in Pasco County School District must add an extra hour to their school days. District officials are rummaging this week to find $1 million in their tight budgets to fullfill the need. 

According to the Tampa Bay Times, the schools originally planned to squeeze a state-mandated extra reading lesson into the school day, but the Florida Department of Education made it clear that learning days must be longer. 

"As you are aware, schools identified as among the 300 lowest-performing elementary schools in reading are required by law to provide an additional hour of instruction beyond the normal school day for each day of the entire school year for intensive reading intsruction for the students in each of these schools," said Education Commissioner Pam Stewart. 

This means the three elementary schools must meet the minimums of 720 hours of school per year for kindergarten through third grade and 900 hours for fourth and fifth grade. 

"This comes as a very unpleasant surprise, because we have to find $1 million," said School Board Chairwoman Alison Crumbley. "We can't do what the state says not to do."

Read the full story. 

Article by Kassondra Granata, EducationWorld Contributor