County school systems that have
missed a high number of days this school year can seek a waiver from the
required 180-days of instruction in a policy discussed by the state Board of
Education Wednesday.
Counties would be able to apply to
the state board by its April meeting for the waiver. The policy would only take
effect if the legislature decides not to pass a bill that deals with the same
issue. The bill has passed the Senate and is in the House Education Committee.
State Department of Education
Communications Director Liza Cordeiro said in order for a waiver to be
considered a county school system would have already taken all the necessary
steps possible to make up instructional days.
“If a county has shown that it has
in good faith built a calendar which contained opportunities to make up lost
time, has rescheduled all available non-instructional days, and can show that
it has accrued instructional time, the WVBE will consider allowing a limited
amount accrued time to be substituted for a day lost to inclement weather if
all other available options have been exhausted,” Cordeiro said. “The
requirement for 180 instructional days will continue to be emphasized.”
This is the first school year that counties were mandated to
meet the 180-days even if they had to extend the school year to the end of
June. Several counties have missed 10 days or more because of extremely cold weather,
snow and rain.
