With Ohio in the middle of one of the most brutal winters in years, many schools in Richland County and around the state are long past their allotted five calamity days for the current school year.
On Jan. 27, Gov. John Kasich urged the Ohio General Assembly and Ohio Department of Education to work together on legislation providing a one-time increase in the number of days schools can take off due to snow or bad weather.
John McClelland, spokesperson for the Ohio Senate Majority Caucus, explained the bill changes the minimum numbers of days the state requires school to be in session. Instead of the minimum 173 days required, the bill says for the 2013-2014 school year the requirement is 169 days.
“It applies to days already used,” he said. “Instead of making those days up, they’re covered.”
However, last Wednesday the Ohio House of Representatives passed over HB 416 that would give Ohio school districts four more calamity days, with Republicans expressing concern that nine days is too much for schools to go without making it up.
According to a statement made by House Education Committee Chairman Gerald Stebelton (R-Lancaster) to Hannah News, Stebelton expects an amended bill to come back to the House floor next week, but noted there was a concern in the Republican caucus that the state will be paying $750 million for the extra calamity days in staff pay and other costs.
It’s a cost recognized locally by Madison Local Schools Superintendent Lee Kaple. As of Tuesday, Feb. 18, Madison has used ten calamity days due to weather, the most Kaple has used in his time as Madison superintendent. Kaple said Madison will make up the four extra school days at the end of their school year, which officially ends on May 29.
“It’s part of the cost of doing business,” Kaple said of the make-up days. “I’ve been here five years and as per our negotiated agreement we add them on (at the end of the year). Historically that’s what’s always been done in Madison.”
One alternative to making up school days at the end of the year is “blizzard bags,” which allow schools to provide take-home or online lessons in order to earn credit for a day of school when calamity days force school to close. Districts can use up to three blizzard bags in one school year.
It’s an option exercised by Shelby City Schools Superintendent Tim Tarvin, who has canceled school nine days this school year as of Feb. 18. With the state-allowed five calamity days and three blizzard bag days, as of now Shelby Schools will have to make up one day at the end of the school year.
Tarvin said Shelby signed up for blizzard bags three years ago, but have not used them until this year. The blizzard bags can either be taken home as hard copies or found online through the school’s website, and students are allowed two weeks to complete blizzard bag assignments.
“We signed up for them when they initially came out because Ohio Graduation Tests take place in March, and Ohio Achievement Assessments for grades 3 through 8 take place typically the last week or two in April or the beginning of May,” Tarvin explained. “So if you’re going to have the opportunity to give kids extra work to help them prepare for their testing, the blizzard bags can do that.”
Shelby’s blizzard bags, which are prepared in the fall, try to have assignments either related to the material currently being covered in class or preparation for Ohio Achievement Assessments.
“In theory if you could add days before the end of the school year, if you could create days prior to testing, then it would be advantageous because it allows extra days to prep and get ready,” said Tarvin. “That’s why there are a number of those blizzard bags; we want them either to be timely and relate to lessons in the classroom now, or to be beneficial for kids to prep for their Ohio Achievement Assessments.”
Ohio students will have even longer to prepare for testing as of Monday, when Superintendent of Public Instruction Richard Ross announced the Ohio Department of Education is expanding the testing window for the Ohio Achievement Assessments. The modified testing window will be April 21 through May 16; the first three weeks will serve as the actual testing weeks, with the fourth week serving as the make-up week for students absent during testing.
“Due to inclement weather, district and school leaders have faced unprecedented challenges as they have made the safety of our boys and girls their top priority. However, they have expressed concern about missed instructional time and the need to prepare students for the assessments,” said Ross. “We feel it is important to provide educational leaders with flexibility regarding the assessments. Therefore, we are extending by one week the spring testing window for Ohio schools. This is a reasonable step we can take that will benefit students and teachers.”
The extension covers the Ohio Achievement Assessments for grades 3 through 8. It does not include the Ohio Graduation Test. The scoring and reporting of the Third Grade Reading Ohio Achievement Assessment will be made a priority to fulfill the Third Grade Reading Guarantee requirements.
Superintendent Kaple chose not to use blizzard bags for Madison due to curriculum deadlines set so far in advance, and because Madison’s vocational programs requiring hands-on time in the lab in order to earn completion certificates. He does, however, support HB 416 and the extension of state calamity days.
“It would benefit everybody in the entire state,” he said. “This has been a tough winter for everybody.”
