For years, Ashtabula County’s harsh winters and spring storms made school superintendents wonder whether five state-sanctioned calamity days were enough to last the year.
Now, starting with the 2010-11 school year, they have to make do with three days.
Last year, state lawmakers shrunk the number of calamity days from five to three in an effort to give students more classroom time. That doesn’t bode well for northeast Ohio, where wild weather routinely plays havoc with the school calendar.
Calamity days are free passes districts can redeem to help them meet Ohio’s class-day requirements. In the past, districts could cancel up to five days and still not have to make up time elsewhere on their calendar. That changed in 2009 with the new state law.
“It’s part of an overall plan for educational reform to increase the number of instructional days,” said Julie Daubenmier, Ohio Department of Education spokeswoman. “We have staff working with districts so they will be able to meet the new calamity days.”
State law requires districts to be open for instruction with students at least 182 days. In the past, up to five of those days could be forgiven if classes had to be canceled for unforeseen reasons, like poor weather or power outages.
Based on past experience, school officials surveyed this week seriously doubt three days will be enough.
“We may be making up a few days at spring break or at the end (of the year),” said Kent Houston, Conneaut Area City Schools superintendent.
Children and their parents shouldn’t worry they will forced to brave gale winds, icy roads or waist-deep snow drifts this winter. School officials agreed they would not put students and staff in harm’s way just to keep their calendars intact.
“It’s a safety issue with us here in northeast Ohio,” said Doug Hladek, Jefferson Area Local Schools superintendent. “Most of us would use (calamity days) whether we make them up or not.”
“You never take the decision to call off school lightly,” said Mary Zappitelli, superintendent at Geneva Area City Schools. “You want to be really careful.”
One option may be to delay the start of classes. Days shortened by no more than two hours are excused from the restrictions. To count as a full day, students in grades one through six must be in the building at least five hours, while kids in grades seven through 12 must log a minimum of five and a half hours.
An adjustment period is probably ahead, Zappitelli said.
“Three days is going to be a little different,” she said. “It could be a burden to districts that have more severe weather.”
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