School day getting longer in Fall River

FALL RIVER, MASS. (WPRI) - The average school days is about to get even longer for public students in Fall River. 

The school district is one of several in Massachusetts adding at least 300 hours of learning time to the school calendar.

It's all part of a nationwide pilot program to make United State schools more competitive.

Kuss Middle School in Fall River has already had extended hours since 2006. 

Its Principal Michael Procaccini says the academic difference has been remarkable, "It just gives us a chance to do a lot of other things that most schools don't get to do.  The school's advanced greatly over the six years that we've done it."

Fall River Schools Superintendent Meg Mayo-Brown has seen the improvements at Kuss Middle School and others like it with extended hours.

She applied to the National Pilot Program for funding to implement the same program at schools across the city.

"Given that we've already had success with three schools, we jumped at the chance to be able to cover more schools," said Mayo-Brown.

The three year program will affect almost 20-thousand students in 40 school around the country. Five-thousand of those students are in Massachusetts.

Fall River schools will add the additional hours beginning in the 2013 school year.