York County students will have to make up time missed after nearly a week of canceled classes — the question is when.
Superintendent Victor Shandor said YCSD staff members were currently evaluating all options for the school division to make up four days of classes canceled due to the Feb. 16 snowstorm.
The school division has also had three class days with two-hour delays since the beginning of the academic year.
State requirements mandate public schools in Virginia hold classes for the equivalent of 180 days or 990 hours.
School Board member Barbara Haywood said the state class time mandates would force the board to make difficult decisions, including potentially extending the school day, going to school on holidays, using Spring Break as class time and holding classes on Saturdays.
“There are a number of options, nobody likes everything, [but] we’ve got to meet state requirements, I don’t know how else to say that,” Haywood said. “We as a board will listen to the recommendations from Dr. Shandor, but it’s almost like our hands are tied. Nobody’s going to be happy with the decision to be made, but if we don’t meet state requirements, we’re in trouble there.”
Although he said all options were on the table, Shandor added he hoped to avoid scheduling makeup class time on certain holidays.
“I can tell you that I’m looking at trying to protect Spring Break and Memorial Day as much as possible,” Shandor said.
During an open forum period, YCSD teacher Kim Voska urged School Board members not to add additional time at the end of the year to make up for the missed time.
“It’s important at the elementary and middle school level to complete the paperwork that sends the children on to the next grade,” she said.
The school division’s 2014-15 academic calendar currently ends with three consecutive early release days, from June 9 to 11.
Virginia law requires the first five missed classroom days be made up by adding time to the school day or by scheduling additional class days. Days six through 10 of missed school require one of every two missed days to be made up.
This is the second year in a row York County schools have missed significant class time due to weather.
During the 2013-14 school year, YCSD administrators were forced to push six scheduled half-days to full school days to make up for a heavy year of wintry weather.
Shandor said he hoped to have a plan of action ready to announce by the end of the week.
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