York Sets Make-Up Snow Day; Extra Day Unlikely for WJCC

By Amber Lester Saturday, February 06, 2010

As snow continues to move through the region, many parents and students are wondering how the school year will be affected. The answer varies from district to district.

York County has scheduled a make-up day for Presidents’ Day on Feb. 15, a day previously scheduled as a school holiday. York missed two days during November’s Nor’easter due to flooding in the area, then two more days this week due to snow, but already completed a make-up day in January.

In Williamsburg-James City County schools, however, students could continue to miss several days of school before a make-up day would need to be scheduled.

The defining difference between the divisions is the length of school days. By state law, students are required to complete at least 180 teaching days or 990 hours in any school year. In York County, high school students spend about six hours in the classroom, compared to WJCC’s seven hours. The length of school days also varies from school to school because of the staggered bus schedules.

If a school division misses up to five days due to inclement weather, the days have to be made up day-for-day, either by scheduling school on holidays or adding days to the end of the year. If a division misses six to 10 days, the division doesn’t have to make up each day, but has to meet the hours requirement. In that event, schools could lengthen the school days.

Schools in districts that are regularly affected by inclement weather are granted waivers to begin the school year before Labor Day. The Historic Triangle’s divisions have never needed such a waiver, according to York County Schools spokesperson Betsy Overkamp-Smith. The last time York County needed to add time to its school day was after missing time for Hurricane Isabel in 2003.

In WJCC, students could miss several more days (varying from level to level) before a make-up day would need to be scheduled, said spokesperson Greg Davy. At the high school level, students could miss up to 124 more hours before a make-up day would be needed. Toano Middle School could miss 122 hours; Berkeley and James Blair could miss 119 hours. At the elementary level, students could miss 37 hours.

If WJCC had to schedule make-up days, the days would be added to the end of the year, but Davy said the chances of that happening are “unlikely.” In both divisions, spring break likely won’t be touched if make-up days need to be scheduled. Davy said the chances of losing spring break, scheduled in both Triangle public school divisions for April 5-9, are “extremely remote” and Overkamp-Smith said scheduling days during spring break would be a last resort.