“The biggest factors are side streets and walkways, which are hard for our buses/students to travel,” wrote Hamilton Schools Superintendent Andrea Blevins in a Facebook post on Tuesday. “Help us get our kids back by clearing sidewalks to give a safe spot to stand for bus riders and/or walkers.”
For some, a delay may suffice: Some districts are more concerned with the arctic air.
Dangerous cold continues into Wednesday, reports WCPO-9 in Cincinnati: “Frostbite is possible within 30 minutes.”
On Wednesday, highs will be in the low 20s.
Calamity day use
Most area schools are not at risk of having to schedule extra days at the end of the year due to snow days or other days called off for emergencies, reports Journal-News content partner Dayton Daily News.
Ohio schools are now required to meet a minimum number of instructional hours, according to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. Previously, schools were required to have attendance in a number of instructional days.
Meggie Bierkan, communications administrator for Middletown City Schools, told Journal-News told the hour threshold can depend on the school.
For example, if one of Middletown’s seven elementary buildings, closed for a water main break or HVAC issue, the threshold would then be different for that building.
“At this point, we are closely monitoring the days we have used for weather-related closures and will continue to assess our hours of instructional time based on the state requirements,” Bierkan said. “We will share updates with the community if and when any changes to the calendar become necessary.”
The state department of education recommends local schools schedule “excess” hours above the minimum number of required hours to accommodate weather-related situations that delay or cancel school, according to ODEW.
If a school closes enough that it will fall below the minimum number of hours, the school must make up the hours by extending its scheduled year, according to the state.
Local schools told the Dayton Daily News they schedule extra days in their school calendar to ensure a buffer for instructional hours.
ODEW says school districts, joint vocational school districts and chartered nonpublic schools must be open for instruction for a minimum of:
- 455 hours for students in half-day kindergarten
- 910 hours for students in full-day kindergarten through grade 6; and
- 1,001 hours for students in grades 7-12.
- 910 hours for students enrolled in traditional school district online schools.
Chartered community schools must be open for instruction at least 920 hours per year, according to ODEW.
Schools can make up the equivalent of three days using online instruction, according to ODEW.
Reporters Eileen McClory and Samantha Wildow contributed to this report.
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