Caverna extends school year

Other districts face same issue

By GINA KINSLOW

HORSE CAVE — Most area school district officials say they will not use spring break to make up days missed due to snow, however, one board of education has given its superintendent verbal approval to use those days if needed.

On Thursday night the Caverna Board of Education agreed to be in session on Memorial Day and use a portion of spring break if needed.

The Caverna Independent School District has missed 12 days this school year — four for flu and eight for snow. The district has made up three of those days by borrowing one day from Thanksgiving Break and two days from Christmas Break. In addition to attending classes on Memorial Day, students will also be in class on Monday, which is President’s Day.

Area school district officials consult with each other regarding school calendars. All area schools begin the school year around the same time each year and they close for summer break around the same time.

Sam Dick, Caverna superintendent, pointed out the last day for students who attend the Barren County School System is June 2 and the last day for teachers is June 3. Caverna’s school calendar differs from Barren County’s by one day. The last day for Caverna students, prior to Thursday night’s school board meeting, was set for June 3 and the last day for teachers on June 4.

He proposed that since the schools would be in session beyond Memorial Day, they also be in session on that day as well.

“If we do that, that will put us back to where Barren is,” Dick said.

Cornelius Faulkner, director of pupil personnel, surveyed district faculty and staff Thursday to get their opinion on using a portion of spring break as make-up days.

He gave them two options to consider. The first option was to use a few days of spring break as make-up days. The other was to use the entire week as make-up days.

“A lot of them were OK with taking a few days for spring break, if needed,” Faulkner said. “Taking the whole week was second. I don’t think anyone in the district would be upset if we did have to take some days.”

Area school districts have more days to use as make-up days in the spring semester than they do in the fall semester.

Dick noted that due to fall break, Thanksgiving Break and Christmas Break, the only other day the district can use as a make-up days during the fall semester is President’s Day, and because of that, using spring break or extending the school year must be considered.

A lot of people have been asking questions about how the schools could make up the missed days, he said, and there is a lot of misconception.

“Things have really changed since some of us were in school. There is the idea if we stayed until (lunch), it could count as a whole day. That died 20 years ago. That is no longer true,” he said. “We are given five hours a year. That’s not even a full day for early dismissal or late arrival, whichever you might need to use. We’ve used one hour so far.”

The reason schools try to remain in session through lunch is not to receive credit for part of the day, but to make sure the children are fed, he said, adding that for many children lunch is the only hot meal they will receive. He urged school board members to explain that to those who ask.

“There’s also people who ask the question of ‘Can we add minutes to the end of the day?’ The answer to that is no. Back when we were 175 days, the way the statute was written, it was 175 days or 1,050 hours. And now it’s 177 days and/or 1,062 hours … So now we can’t do that,” Dick said.



Other districts also intend to add days

Barren County students have also missed eight days due to snow.

“Of the eight days, two are going to be made up in the month of February that we were scheduled to be closed. Those make-up days are now Feb. 12 (extended professional development) and Feb. 15 (President’s Day),” said Bo Matthews, director of pupil personnel. “The last day for students will be Wednesday, June 2. Closing day for staff will be Thursday, June 3. This is subject to change if we have any more snow days or days we are closed due to illness.”

Barren County will not use spring break as make-up days due to the impact it would have on students, staff and families, he said.

Students who attend the Glasgow Independent School District have missed only five days — four days due to weather and one day for the State Class A Basketball Tournament.

“We are making up one of those days on Monday, Feb. 15,” said Randy Wilkinson, director of pupil personnel. “Our last day for students is now Friday, May 28 with teacher closing day to be held after students’ last day.”

Metcalfe County students have missed 11 days, all of which were due to snow.

The district plans to reschedule all 11 days and will use President’s Day as a make-up day. It also plans to use a regulary scheduled day off for professional development at end of February as a make-up day, said Chris Huffman, director of pupil personnel.

As of Thursday afternoon, Huffman said he did not know if spring break would be used as make-up days and said that would be a decision that would have to be made by the school board.

The district in the area that has missed the most days is Monroe County. Students in that district have missed 13 days — 10 due to snow, two due to flu and one due to a funeral.

Like other area school districts, Monroe County students will attend school on President’s Day.

The district will also use two days that were originally planned as early release days and two days that were scheduled as staff planning days. It also plans to extend the school year by eight days, which means the last day of school for students will be May 26.

“We are not planning on using any of the spring break days as of right now,” said Lewis Carter, superintendent. “Unfortunately, some or all of those days may be used for school days if we continue this pattern of inclement weather.”

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