DOE gives Henryville schools reprieve

HENRYVILLE, Ind. (AP) - The state Department of Education has decided that students whose southern Indiana school was wrecked by a tornado last month won't have to make up their missed school days.

The state waiver from the 180-day school requirement comes after Henryville's elementary students missed 12 days and Henryville High School missed 15 days before their classes resumed at temporary locations.

Education Department spokesman Alex Damron tells the News and Tribune ( http://bit.ly/IswSu9 ) that it was only fair to grant the Henryville waiver because of the extreme circumstances of the March 2 tornadoes.

That storm killed 13 people in southern Indiana and caused widespread damage in Henryville, Marysville and other nearby communities in the area just north of Louisville, Ky.