Free State High School will be lengthening its shortest school days up until spring break, all to make up for a day of canceled classes earlier this month following a bomb threat.

“Block” class periods will be extended by five minutes on Wednesdays and Thursdays from the beginning of the spring semester up through March 1. Such classes will be 90 minutes long, rather than the usual 85 minutes; “zero hour” classes on Wednesdays will not be affected.

The extended days will continue to start at normal times but end later: Block Wednesdays will dismiss at 2:50 p.m., 20 minutes later than usual, and Block and Assembly Thursdays will end at 2:15 p.m., 15 minutes later than usual.

Add it up, and Free State’s more than 1,500 students will be scheduled to spend another 245 minutes soaking up instruction. That’s to cover time lost when administrators canceled classes and evacuated the campus just before the morning bell rang Dec. 1, after a handwritten bomb threat had been discovered taped to the front door.

The first extended day of classes will be Jan. 11. Spring break begins March 16.

Lawrence police continue to investigate the bomb threat, and anyone with information is encouraged to contact police directly or to call Crime Stoppers, 785-843-TIPS (8477). Crime Stoppers does not subscribe to caller ID, and information leading to an arrest can result in a $1,000 reward.