Think you're sick and tired of snow and ice? Try being a school administrator working to figure out how to make up all the school days lost this winter to inclement weather.
It's been the snowiest winter on record in southern Wisconsin, and area schools have paid the price. Schools have started late, let out early and canceled all together time after time this winter, as storm after storm has slammed the area.
The state Department of Public Instruction requires schools to be in session 180 days. While the DPI will allow districts to have school on fewer days than that in some circumstances, it still has a minimum number of hours of classroom instruction that must be met.
Karen Ballin, district administrator at Monticello, said Wednesday she contacted the DPI to see if waivers would be possible for districts struggling with the snow day question. She was told waivers won't be considered, and the DPI will be sending a letter to school superintendents to that effect.
That leaves districts back at the drawing board, weighing options such as extended school days, shortened spring breaks, going more days at the end of the school year and even school on Saturdays to make up for time missed. As Monroe Superintendent Larry Brown told the school board last week, each option has drawbacks and no solution is going to leave all families happy.
Regardless of any plans area districts might make now, they still are at the mercy of Mother Nature. Albany District Administrator Steve Guenther pointed out it's only the third week in February and there's a lot of winter left to go. Snowstorms in March are an unofficial Wisconsin tradition, so more snow days are very possible.
That could put Albany and other districts in a real jam. Guenther said Albany schools are looking to extend school to Friday, June 13, but has summer school starting Monday, June 16.
"If we end up with another one, we'll have an issue," Guenther said.
Here's how area districts are dealing with their snow-day dilemmas:
MONROE
Monroe has started discussions with its teachers union concerning how to make up days. "At this time, what they are willing to consider is extending the number of minutes in the remaining school days to gain back one or two days," Superintendent Larry Brown said. He is in contact with the DPI and expects to have a plan hammered out by Monday.
The district has had to cancel school six times. It has one inclement weather day built into its calendar.
ALBANY
Albany is in the same boat as Monroe. It has had six snow days, but only one built into the school calendar, Guenther said.
The district is looking at adding days at the end of the school year, which was scheduled to end Thursday, June 5. At this point, school will continue through Friday, June 13.
The problem is, like Monroe, the Albany district has summer school slated to begin Monday, June 16, so one more snow day will cause an overlap.
The district did look at adding time to the school day, but Guenther said that didn't seem to be very valuable in terms of instruction. School would be extended about 20 minutes per day, but spread out over the day, each class only would be lengthened by two or three minutes. "Instructionally, it didn't seem to be very valuable," he said. "There's not a whole lot you can do in two or three minutes."
MONTICELLO
Monticello has closed six days so far this year, Ballin said. The district has three days built in. Tacking three make-up days on to end of the year would put the students' last day at June 10.
But that decision hasn't been made yet. Ballin said the district hasn't begun officially discussing what to do about it yet. "I think everyone has been too demoralized to bring it up," she said.
BLACK HAWK
The Black Hawk district is OK - so far. The district has called off six days of school so far, but the district has five snow days built into its schedule. The calendar puts the last day of school at Friday, May 30, but Monday, June 2, is earmarked as a school day in case the district needs to make up a day.
JUDA
Juda is assessing the snow day situation and waiting to see what the rest of February brings, Superintendent Gary Scheuerell said. After talking with teachers, the district opted to hold school today, which originally was scheduled to be a day off for students due to a teachers' convention. The district still is hoping to have school finished the first week of June, so it may look at making up time during spring break or other scheduled days off before the end of the school year, Scheuerell said.
BRODHEAD
School in Brodhead, which has had four snow days, was scheduled to get out June 5. Brodhead's calendar is structured so the first and third snow days must be made up. Make-up days are penciled in for June 6, 9 and 10. However, the district already has a problem in that summer school is set to begin June 9. The district is in discussion on how to resolve the issue, whether it be scheduling school during spring break or tacking minutes onto the school day.
PECATONICA
Pecatonica school actually is in better shape than some districts - the district's makeup days already have been scheduled and won't impact the last day of school.
The district has had five snow days so far. After three snow days, students must start making them up, acting Superintendent David Westhoff said. To achieve that, students will be attending school on March 3 and May 12, which had been scheduled as professional development days for staff.
School is scheduled to end June 4. Any additional snow days would have to be made up after that, Westhoff said.
NEW GLARUS
New Glarus has had four snow days. The district has not made up its mind how it will make time up, according to District Administrator Barbara Thompson.
It's been the snowiest winter on record in southern Wisconsin, and area schools have paid the price. Schools have started late, let out early and canceled all together time after time this winter, as storm after storm has slammed the area.
The state Department of Public Instruction requires schools to be in session 180 days. While the DPI will allow districts to have school on fewer days than that in some circumstances, it still has a minimum number of hours of classroom instruction that must be met.
Karen Ballin, district administrator at Monticello, said Wednesday she contacted the DPI to see if waivers would be possible for districts struggling with the snow day question. She was told waivers won't be considered, and the DPI will be sending a letter to school superintendents to that effect.
That leaves districts back at the drawing board, weighing options such as extended school days, shortened spring breaks, going more days at the end of the school year and even school on Saturdays to make up for time missed. As Monroe Superintendent Larry Brown told the school board last week, each option has drawbacks and no solution is going to leave all families happy.
Regardless of any plans area districts might make now, they still are at the mercy of Mother Nature. Albany District Administrator Steve Guenther pointed out it's only the third week in February and there's a lot of winter left to go. Snowstorms in March are an unofficial Wisconsin tradition, so more snow days are very possible.
That could put Albany and other districts in a real jam. Guenther said Albany schools are looking to extend school to Friday, June 13, but has summer school starting Monday, June 16.
"If we end up with another one, we'll have an issue," Guenther said.
Here's how area districts are dealing with their snow-day dilemmas:
MONROE
Monroe has started discussions with its teachers union concerning how to make up days. "At this time, what they are willing to consider is extending the number of minutes in the remaining school days to gain back one or two days," Superintendent Larry Brown said. He is in contact with the DPI and expects to have a plan hammered out by Monday.
The district has had to cancel school six times. It has one inclement weather day built into its calendar.
ALBANY
Albany is in the same boat as Monroe. It has had six snow days, but only one built into the school calendar, Guenther said.
The district is looking at adding days at the end of the school year, which was scheduled to end Thursday, June 5. At this point, school will continue through Friday, June 13.
The problem is, like Monroe, the Albany district has summer school slated to begin Monday, June 16, so one more snow day will cause an overlap.
The district did look at adding time to the school day, but Guenther said that didn't seem to be very valuable in terms of instruction. School would be extended about 20 minutes per day, but spread out over the day, each class only would be lengthened by two or three minutes. "Instructionally, it didn't seem to be very valuable," he said. "There's not a whole lot you can do in two or three minutes."
MONTICELLO
Monticello has closed six days so far this year, Ballin said. The district has three days built in. Tacking three make-up days on to end of the year would put the students' last day at June 10.
But that decision hasn't been made yet. Ballin said the district hasn't begun officially discussing what to do about it yet. "I think everyone has been too demoralized to bring it up," she said.
BLACK HAWK
The Black Hawk district is OK - so far. The district has called off six days of school so far, but the district has five snow days built into its schedule. The calendar puts the last day of school at Friday, May 30, but Monday, June 2, is earmarked as a school day in case the district needs to make up a day.
JUDA
Juda is assessing the snow day situation and waiting to see what the rest of February brings, Superintendent Gary Scheuerell said. After talking with teachers, the district opted to hold school today, which originally was scheduled to be a day off for students due to a teachers' convention. The district still is hoping to have school finished the first week of June, so it may look at making up time during spring break or other scheduled days off before the end of the school year, Scheuerell said.
BRODHEAD
School in Brodhead, which has had four snow days, was scheduled to get out June 5. Brodhead's calendar is structured so the first and third snow days must be made up. Make-up days are penciled in for June 6, 9 and 10. However, the district already has a problem in that summer school is set to begin June 9. The district is in discussion on how to resolve the issue, whether it be scheduling school during spring break or tacking minutes onto the school day.
PECATONICA
Pecatonica school actually is in better shape than some districts - the district's makeup days already have been scheduled and won't impact the last day of school.
The district has had five snow days so far. After three snow days, students must start making them up, acting Superintendent David Westhoff said. To achieve that, students will be attending school on March 3 and May 12, which had been scheduled as professional development days for staff.
School is scheduled to end June 4. Any additional snow days would have to be made up after that, Westhoff said.
NEW GLARUS
New Glarus has had four snow days. The district has not made up its mind how it will make time up, according to District Administrator Barbara Thompson.