Snow can mean that school is out for Ohio students, but the number of calamity days a district can claim will drop this fall.
"Many school districts use them up and go over," said Marysville Superintendent Larry Zimmerman. "If you don't have those five days, many school districts will go into mid June."
Zimmerman doesn't mind losing calamity days, as long as the state allows flexibility on how to make them up, ONN's Jim Heath reported.
"We already made a local decision to have a longer school day which is better for our kids," Zimmerman said. "So, why not give us local flexibility in how to make those days up?"
Right now school districts can claim five calamity days. That number drops to three for the school year beginning this fall. That will increase the number of required school days in Ohio from 175 to 177.
Governor Ted Strickland wants a longer school year. He said eliminating two calamity days means two more instructional days.
Columbus City Schools Superintendent Gene Harris agrees.
"The other thing we have to realize is it's winter in Ohio, and it snows in Ohio, and periodically we're going to have to brave the elements to be able to get to where we need to go," Harris said.
Harris has not claimed any calamity days for Columbus schools this year.
"It really is a matter of teaching and learning," Harris said. "We want our students to have every opportunity to get the maximum level of learning that they possibly can."
With weather conditions like Tuesday, Zimmerman wonders whether it's practical to make up school days in June.
"If you're school year goes way beyond graduation day, what do you do with the seniors?" said Zimmerman. "There are still a number of days they have to attend, but they will all ready be graduated."
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