BERLIN — While a bill that would mandate a post-Labor Day start to the school year continues to plod through the General Assembly, the number of weather-related school closure days on the Lower Shore and across the state continues to mount.
Schools across Maryland were closed again on Thursday and Friday from the latest winter storm, the third to result in school closures in the last three weeks. In Worcester, Thursday’s and Friday’s closures brought the total number of school days missed for the year to nine.
Worcester County has three inclement weather days built into the 2014-2015 school calendar, a number that has long been surpassed. With six days to make up, Board of Education officials are already working on plans to meet the state’s 180-day minimum requirement for this year.
“To date, Worcester County Public Schools has had eight inclement weather day closings,” said Coordinator of Public Relations and Special Programs Barb Witherow on Thursday prior to the announcement Thursday evening to close on Friday. “This means the school system will have to recoup five days. Winter, of course, is not over.”
Witherow said in an effort to shorten an extended school year, the superintendent typically looks to see if there are any days left within the 2014-2015 calendar that could be modified. The only day left that could be considered for modification in Worcester is April 2, which is currently scheduled as a professional day. The superintended may consider making April 2 a half-day for students, recouping a day toward the 180-day requirement.
“Again, no decisions have been made at this time,” said Witherow. “However, April 2 is the only day within the current calendar where a modification could be made. Good Friday, Easter Monday and Memorial Day are all state-required holidays.”
If April 2 was modified as a half-day, that would still leave at least five days to make up. The superintendent may ask the Board of Education to seek a waiver from the state for school closure days when a Snow Emergency Plan was issued by the Maryland State Police and the State Highway Administration. Thus far this year, Snow Emergency Plans were in effect in Worcester on Feb. 17, Feb. 26 and March 5
While the last few weeks of inclement weather are fresh in everybody’s mind, few will remember last year was equally challenging. There were 10 school closings due to inclement weather last year, and with three built into the calendar, Worcester officials had to recoup seven. Two were recouped by modifying the calendar and the state approved a waiver for four of the closings, which left one to make up. That one was added to end of the school year, moving the last day from June 12 to June 13.
Meanwhile, while they are essentially separate issues, the move to a mandated post-Labor Day start for schools across Maryland could complicate the issue in the future. Cross-filed bills in the Senate and House would, if approved, require all school systems in Maryland to start their school years after Labor Day. The intent of the “Let Summer Be Summer” initiative, promulgated by Comptroller Peter Franchot, is to allow students, teachers and their families to enjoy the last few weeks of summer before getting into their school routines.
Worcester this year voluntarily began its school year after Labor Day, while many systems across the state were back in session by mid- to late August. A mandated post-Labor Day start to the school year across Maryland could complicate the effort to meet the minimum 180 days for many school systems, particularly if winters continue to create closures that exceed the number of built-in inclement weather days.
The proposed 2015-2016 calendar for Worcester again includes a post-Labor Day start, and the way the dates fall, the start would be as late as possible at Sept. 8. Under that proposal, Worcester’s last day next year would fall on June 17.
Wicomico County Public Schools are currently considering three proposed schedules for next year while they wait to see how the post-Labor Day school start bill shakes out. One version would have school starting on Aug. 24 with a last day scheduled for June 6. A second proposal would have schools starting on Aug. 31 and ending on June 9. The third version would have schools starting after Labor Day on Sept. 8 and ending on June 20.
State Senator Jim Mathias, who is a primary sponsor on the post-Labor Day school start bill on the Senate side, said this week the inclement weather closing issue and the post-Labor Day start issue were mutually exclusive of each other.
“I’m hoping this weather is an anomaly, but there is a waiver process in place that takes this into consideration,” he said. “I still believe adjustments can be made in the calendar. I guess if somebody was looking for a reason not to support this, they could point to all of these closures, but there is a process in place to deal with weather-related closures and that’s a separate issue.”
Mathias suggested there could be creative ways to make up for lost time in the classroom due to weather closures.
“With advanced forecasting today, it is reasonable to anticipate when schools will be closed,” he said. “If schools were going to be closed tomorrow, for example, the teachers could have assignments ready for the students to do at home. We all want the same thing, and that’s the best education for our students, but we also want them to be able to enjoy time with their families and enjoy those last few days of summer.”