Proposal to Excuse Winter Storm Days, Missouri lawmaker wants bill to be passed by early March 2011

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Mo. lawmaker proposes to excuse winter storm days

By WES DUPLANTIER | Associated Press www.STLtoday.com 
February 12, 201
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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Skies are clear and snow has stopped falling across most of the state, but now Missouri school districts are trying to figure out how to reschedule days lost to the winter storm that swept through the state several weeks ago.
One Missouri lawmaker wants to excuse schools from making up the days missed due to weather from Jan. 31 to Feb. 4 so that schools do not need to cut into their spring breaks or push back their summer holiday.
"I consider it a compromise," said sponsoring Rep. Joe Aull, D-Marshall. "I think make-ups are important. I think attending a good number of days is important. But I think you have to decide, where do we get to that level where it's counterproductive?"
Aull, a former school superintendent and administrator, said he wants the bill to be passed by early March so that schools can re-work their schedules quickly. The bill would take effect when Gov. Jay Nixon signs it instead of in August when many laws take effect.
Missouri law requires that students be in class for at least 174 days for a school to receive all of its state funding. Under that law, schools must make up the first six days that are cancelled because of inclement weather if missing those days puts the school under the 174-day minimum. After that, schools are required to make up one-half of the days that are missed, up to eight snow days.
Schools do not need to make up any missed days after that - even if students would be in class for fewer than 174 days.
However, many school districts already include six possible snow days in the calendars they set at the beginning of the year. That way, they still have days to spare if it snows. In other words, many schools schedule 180 days of class.
Aull wants to excuse all the school days missed when Gov. Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency.
Without that change, some schools might need to hold classes into late May or early June.


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Gasconade County R-1
Revisions in the school year to adjust for snow days

Feb. 16 – Full day of attendance (No early release for Professional Development)

Feb. 21 – Students in attendance (Presidents’ Day Holiday)

Mar. 9 – Full day of attendance (No early release for Professional Development)

Mar. 18 – Students in attendance (Third Quarter Work Day)

April 25 – Students in attendance (Easter Monday Holiday)

May 23 to 26 – Full attendance days
 
May 27 – Students in attendance until 1:00 pm
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