Waltham Public Schools Mulling Options For Making Up Snow Days, If Necessary

Waltham school officials are considering options for making up any additional days of school missed in the future due to inclement weather.

The School Committee, at its Wednesday, Feb. 16 meeting, will examine whether to add additional time to each school day, hold classes on Saturdays, have students attend school during already-scheduled vacation days or attend classes after Friday, June 24, according to Vice Chairman Harold Walker. Any measure would only be used if wild weather forces additional closings, Walker said.

“We would be looking for some input from the community,” Walker said.

The discussion comes as the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has told school districts it would likely prohibit schools from not meeting the required minimum of 180 school days.

Recent snow storms have forced the Waltham Public Schools to close for six days, one more than the scheduled five make up days built into the school’s calendar, according interim Superintendent Anne Marie Carr-Reardon. With that, the last day of school is scheduled for Friday, June 24, according to Carr-Reardon.

“We then still have the last week of June to use as days before we would ever be in a situation of concern,” Carr-Reardon said.

Using that last week as make up time could be without in interrupting February or April vacations, Carr-Reardon said in a letter to parents.

Some of make up options would have complications. The district is not allowed to hold classes beyond Thursday, June 30, Walker said, because doing so would spill over into the next fiscal year and cause financial hassles.

Other options would have to be negotiated with the teachers union, including longer school days and using vacation days, according to Walker.

The DESE’s requirements and recent closings have compelled Waltham to discuss the issue. The DESE requires students to attend classes for at least 180 days and have 900 hours of learning time, according to its Web site. Education Commissioner Mitchell Chester has warned districts to not expect waivers to exempt them from that requirement.

“Student learning time is a precious resource. We recognize that rescheduling missed days mid-year may be inconvenient, but depending on when in the year the days are missed, school officials should be able to make the arrangements necessary to ensure that student learning time is not shortchanged,” he wrote in a letter to state superintendents posted on the DESE Web site.