Students across Wood County are heading back to school today, after a
winter storm forced the cancellation of classes for up to three days
this week.
But that lost class time will be made up, with most districts tacking on
a couple extra days at the end of their regular school year.
Districts across Ohio this year have only three calamity days, which
locally are most often used for fog and snow days. The number of
calamity days was reduced from five to three by former Gov. Ted
Strickland, with the intent to keep students is the classroom and
improve their learning.
The state requires students be in class 178 days each year.
A bill, however, has been introduced in the state legislature that would
bump the calamity day allowance back to five. If the issue is passed as
an emergency this school year, and is signed by Gov. John Kasich,
districts would not be required to make up their fourth and fifth
calamity day.
But unless that happens, each of Wood County’s nine public school
districts may be tacking on a few extra days at the end of their school
year.
Otsego and Perrysburg each have missed four days this year; North
Baltimore, Northwood and Rossford have missed five; and Eastwood, Lake,
Elmwood and Bowling Green each have missed six days due to inclement
weather.
North Baltimore, Northwood and Eastwood built extra days into their
calendar, and will be making up some days this month or in March and
April.
“We’re making them up the first two days of spring break, which would be
April 4 and 5 for us,” said North Baltimore Superintendent Marlene
North. “That’s a requirement for the calendar now, to have makeup days
built in.”
The district’s calendar stipulates that any calamity days prior to Feb.
11 will be added to spring break; any missed days after that will be
added to the end of the school year. Currently, North Baltimore still
plans to hold its last day of classes on June 2.
Northwood students won’t get a three-day weekend for Presidents’ Day.
Rather, they will be in session on that holiday as a makeup day, and
also will have another day tacked on at the end of the year. Classes now
will end May 26 — or later if more bad weather rolls through.
Eastwood Superintendent Brent Welker said teachers and administrators
built in extra days in March and April as potential makeup days.
“We were pretty sure we would end up with at least five calamity days,”
he said Thursday, which was yet another day classes were canceled
because of dangerous road conditions.
Eastwood students will have classes March 11 and April 15 — dates that originally were scheduled as days
off.
“We built those two days into our calendar in case we missed days, we could make them up there,”
explained Welker.
Eastwood also will add on a day at the end of the year, on June 3. “That’s still a pretty reasonable
ending day.”
Otsego has just one day to make up — but that could change with at least
six more weeks of winter. Students may not be happy to learn they will
need to return to their classrooms after Memorial Day weekend, on May
31.
That also is the plan for Lake, Perrysburg, Rossford and Bowling Green.
These districts are extending their calendar. If the calamity day
allowance remains at three, the last day for students in Lake will be
May 31; in Perrysburg, June 3; in Bowling Green, June 1; and in
Rossford, June 6.
Elmwood will go until June 1 — unless a decision is made to use a workday scheduled for March 7.
Extended school years typically do not affect graduation dates.
At Penta Career Center, makeup days also have been built in at the end of the school year.
The career center, in Perrysburg Township, enrolls students from 16
districts and tracks what those districts are doing with delays and
closures.
“We’re either open or closed,” said Superintendent Ron Matter. “If we go
on a delay and not all of our schools are on a delay, we have created a
hardship for that school” because of busing procedures.
A majority of its service area has to cancel classes for Penta to close.
“Once we get over eight schools (closing), we should be closed as well,” Matter stated.
Penta students follow whatever schedule their home school district is on.
The career center has closed five times this school year, and will make
up the days at the end of the year. Classes will be in session through
May 31, rather than May 26.
As for what might happen in Columbus with the proposed legislation: “If
they do it, great. If they don’t, we were prepared … to make up the
two we have right now,” Matter said.
Calamity Days
so far …
• 4 days — Otsego, Perrysburg
• 5 days — North Baltimore, Northwood, Rossford, Penta County Career Center
• 6 days — Bowling Green, Eastwood, Lake,
Elmwood