Though originally scheduled as an off day for Selma City School students, classes will be in session Monday.

Selma City Schools superintendent Don Jefferson said Monday, which was scheduled as a Presidents Day holiday, was built in as an emergency weather day when the school year was approved. Last month’s ice storms caused the system to activate its alternate plan.

“The Selma City School System builds in two bad weather days each year and this year they are Presidents Day and Good Friday,” he said. “Because we had bad weather on Jan. 10, we are going to have to use one of those days now.”

The system, Jefferson said, follows state guidelines as to the number of days, 180 for students, it must be in session. Days that are missed because of weather must be made up and it is up to the system to come up with a replacement plan.

“That’s why we build the two in,” he said. “If we were in Huntsville or north Alabama we might need more, but here we usually don’t have a lot of days where we absolutely can’t go to school.”

Substituting school days for holidays also keeps the system on schedule near the end of the year, Jefferson said. With graduation dates established, he said it is crucial to keep things moving.

“It can be tough for students at the end of the year because there are graduations scheduled and a lot of them are ready to head off to college,” he said. “Building them I the way we do keeps everything on schedule. It also keeps them from having to come in to school on a Saturday.”

According to the Dallas County School System’s Central Office, Monday’s Presidents Day holiday will remain on the calendar.