State scraps calamity days for hour limit

A new state rule that eliminates calamity days and sets minimum classroom hours means little to area school districts.

The new hour-based schedule requires 1,001 hours each year for grades 7-12 and 910 hours for K-6 - about 100 hours fewer than most local students attend.

Although state-issued calamity days have ceased, most Grand Lake area school officials included them in their calendars. Classroom hours will remain about the same or increase in some districts.

Coldwater students and staff will make up every missed day, according to superintendent Rich Seas, who feels it's key to meet new standards such as the third-grade guarantee and high school graduation requirements.

"Meeting minimum hours is not OK," he said. "Whether it's days or hours, we need time to educate our students and meet the mandates placed upon public schools. If education is valued, why would our state legislators want to minimize our school year?"
  In a letter to his staff last month, Seas explained his opinion: "I realize that in the past we have accepted the five calamity days the state granted us in the event of a calamitous event. However, by using the four make-up days first, we have a better opportunity of preparing our students for the state tests we are being asked to give them."

However, he doesn't think extending the school year in the event of excessive bad weather days would be advantageous.

"I'm of the opinion that instruction beyond the Memorial Day holiday would not be very productive. ... we will exercise common sense, keeping the education of our students as a priority," he told the newspaper.

It's business as usual at Marion Local Schools.

"The change from days to hours hasn't changed a thing at Marion Local," superintendent Mike Pohlman said. "Our hours of operation are the exact same as last year for both K-6 and 7-12. If we miss five days due to inclement weather, we will make up those days (after using five calamity days) just as we have in the past."

The school has scheduled six possible make-up days between Feb. 13 and May 27. Pohlman also is skeptical about adding make-up days to the end of the year.

"We have discussed the what if ... at the end of the year. We decided to cross that bridge when we get there," he said. "We always feel like our teachers have good classroom management and can make any day a good learning day even if it is in late May."

If student progress is good and classroom goals are met, it's unlikely school days will be extended past May, he said.

"Those will all be conversations we would have with the (board of education members) if need be," Pohlman added.

The minimum-hours provision was signed into law earlier this year in Gov. John Kasich's two-year budget plan. In 2011, about four months after he became governor, Kasich reinstated the five calamity days his predecessor, Ted Strickland, had reduced to three.

John Charlton, a spokesman for the Ohio Department of Education, said most Ohio schools average 1,126 hours, based on 6 1/2 hour days at 180 days per year. To meet the minimum hours, schools would need to be in session only about 5 1/2 hours each day, he said.

"Most superintendents we talked to said they wanted more classroom time, not less," he said.

He said the new minimum hours standard gives flexibility to each district. Instead of making up missed days, schools - for example - could extend each day an hour for several weeks if they choose, Charlton said.

Fort Recovery schools superintendent Shelly Vaughn said the district will again take five calamity days before making up classroom time.

"We look at this as no change for us. It's working," she said. "If it isn't broke, don't fix it."

During the past 20 years, the school has averaged exactly five bad weather days each year, so Vaughn feels scheduling make-up days makes sense.

Superintendent Howard Overman said it's status quo at New Bremen Local Schools.

"We'll use five calamity days before starting to make them up," he said.

The district won't consider reducing to the state's minimum hours, he added.

"It's our job to educate students and we can't get it done with less hours," Overman said.

Minster Local Schools this year - very similar to last year - has scheduled 1,181 hours for 7-12 and 1,137 hours for K-6, according to superintendent Brenda Boeke.

"We will be making up days after we have used five days for calamity-type reasons," she said.

The school will be in session more than 36 days above the state minimum but officials feel it's important to make up the time, she said.

St. Henry schools also will use five calamity days before tapping into six make-up days.

"Our instructional day is seven hours and five minutes, which includes a 30-minute lunch," according to new superintendent Julie Garke.

Extending the school year into summer is a possibility, she said.

"If we miss more than 11 - five days allowed and six make-up days - we'll probably schedule after the school year," she said. "Let's hope for a mild winter."

Celina schools superintendent Jess Steiner said the new rule also doesn't apply to his district because teacher negotiations were ongoing when the rule was implemented.

"It will hit us next year," he said, adding the district will maintain five calamity days this year.

A committee will be formed to change the schedule from days to hours next year, Steiner said. He noted Celina schools could close for 20 snow days before hitting this year's minimum hour requirement.

St. Marys schools remains in teacher negotiations so the new rule doesn't apply this year. Superintendent Shawn Brown said this year's schedule includes five calamity days and five scheduled make-up days, if needed.

His plan this year is to monitor affected schools.

 "I guess we will have to see how it plays out the first couple of years, see what other districts are doing and re-evaluate as needed to make any adjustments," Brown said.