School Districts Plan To Seek Waivers For Some Snow Days

Several superintendents in Benton and Washington counties said they plan to seek a waiver from the number of required school days because of inclement weather.

Superintendent Randy Barrett is one of the longest serving superintendents in Northwest Arkansas. He said he doesn’t remember keeping Gentry schools closed for 15 days, as they have been this school year.

His district will apply for a waiver from the Arkansas Department of Education to be excused from the 178-day requirement that students spend in school. He will be joined by West Fork, Lincoln, Elkins, Pea Ridge and Gravette school districts, all of which have missed 12 or more days.

The West Fork district in Washington County has missed 17 days as of Friday.

“This is a serious situation,” said John Karnes, West Fork superintendent, noting all 13 of the routes West Fork school buses travel are affected by road conditions.

Other superintendents said their school boards will be reviewing the situation soon.

“A waiver is one of the options. Teachers want to get in as many days before testing begins,” said Allen Williams, superintendent in Prairie Grove.

Some districts have had school this week with limited bus service but that doesn’t do any good for West Fork, Karnes said.

“We don’t have a route that doesn’t have a mountain,” Karnes said. West Fork made up two days by returning from the winter holiday break two days early and canceling a day off for students Friday. The rest have been added to the end of the school year, Karnes said.

Waivers historically haven’t been handed out like cookies, said Rick Schaeffer, spokesman for the Springdale School District. The most recent waivers were in 2010 to Cave City, Deer/Mount Judea, Highland, Mountain View, Salem, Twin Rivers and Viola school districts, said Kimberly Friedman, spokeswoman for the education department.

The department issued ground rules Jan. 1 on how to apply for a waiver in a memo to school superintendents and charter school directors.

School districts can apply for a waiver if they miss more than 10 days and have a plan to make up the first 10 days.

Options to make up instructional days are: use scheduled teacher workdays; hold instruction on holidays; use part or all of spring break; and add days to the end of the school year, according to the memo. The state requires school districts to include five makeup days in the school calendar.

There is no guarantee any waiver will be granted. Requests are due by Feb. 28 at the education department. The state education board will begin considering requests March 13, according to the memo.

Rogers and Fayetteville are monitoring the situation before deciding to seek a waiver. Fayetteville is having classes on two Saturdays. Bentonville is considering two Saturdays.

Ashley Siwiec, spokesman for the Rogers School District, said the district planned to turn professional development days into instructional days and add the rest at the end of the year. The Rogers School Board will meet Feb. 18 to consider any other options.

Schaeffer said a waiver “is not even in the discussion.” Springdale plans to use Saturdays and part of spring break to make up the 10 days those schools have been closed.

Gravette plans to use three days of spring break. Spring break this year is scheduled March 24-28 in most districts.

Larry Ben, superintendent in the Decatur School District, said they are using every opportunity except spring break, but the school board might consider that option.

Superintendents in both counties said dirt roads remain covered with ice and snow, making it difficult for school buses to safely travel. Most districts, like Prairie Grove, created snow routes that keep buses on paved roads. Parents take and pickup students at specific sites when school districts operate on limited bus service.

“I don’t have the option for limited bus service,” said Mary Ann Spears, superintendent of Lincoln School District. “Our dirt roads are awful and 80 percent of our students live on dirt roads.”