Ohio School Calamity Days Back to 5

On Wednesday, Gov. John Kasich signed legislation that restored the number of school calamity days to five — that means no students will be in classes past June 8.

Students in the district were in line to make up a day of school after four days of harsh winter weather kept them home this school year.

Former Gov. Ted Strickland cut the number of calamity days to three this school year, which were quickly used up by districts throughout the state because of harsh winter weather.

Some school districts had more than a week of classes to make up.

But Kasich signed House Bill 36, which increases the number of calamity days from three to five. The measure also gives schools the flexibility to make up snow days by lengthening remaining school days in the 2010-2011 school year by 30- minute increments. 

State legislators have voted to add two more calamity days this school year. 

That was good news to Lakewood Superintendent Joseph Madak, who said it would have been difficult to have all of the students attend classes June 9.

“When you make up days like that you often run into family plans, and your attendance isn’t what you ‘d like it to be.” he added. “To think you’d get the same quality of education, that you would on any other day, is not the case.

Another portion of the bill allows districts — if they go beyond the five calamity days — to make up those days by tacking on a half-hour of classes each day.

“I think the key here is to find the right balance,” Madak said. “We live in a climate where there will be days in the school year that it’s not right to have students in school. Finding that right balance is really important.”

Kasich, in a press release, said, "We’ll go back to five calamity days, we’ll give the schools districts more options, and of course student safety is a priority . . . but in addition to that, the great bottom line is more sled riding.”

Madak said that five calamity days is “reasonable.”

“Most of the years I’ve been here we haven’t had to use any,” Madak added. “I can only remember four times in my 43-year that we went above our five calamity days.”

He was quick to point out caution for his comments.

“I have to be a little careful because I can remember six or seven years ago we had a big snow that came in the middle of April,” he said. “We might not be done with snow yet.”