School districts across Northwest Arkansas now have fewer snow days to make up after the state Board of Education granted their waiver requests Thursday.
The board granted 75 waiver requests from across the state, including those from 14 school districts and two charter schools in Benton and Washington counties.
By The Numbers
Waiver Days
Northwest Arkansas school districts, the number of snow days they’ve had and the number of those days they requested be waived by the state Board of Education. The state board on Thursday granted all of the requests in full except for Decatur’s.
School District*Snow Days*Waiver Days Requested
Bentonville*13*3
Decatur*16*7
Elkins*18*8
Farmington*14*3
Fayetteville*13*2
Gentry*17*7
Gravette*15*5
Greenland*16*6
Haas Hall Academy*13*3
Lincoln*18*8
Northwest Arkansas Classical Academy*13*3
Pea Ridge*16*6
Prairie Grove*15*5
Rogers*13*2
Siloam Springs*13*2
Springdale*12*0
West Fork*21*3
Source: Staff Report
Schools are required to have 178 school days with six hours of instruction each, but can apply to the state for a waiver of any days missed beyond 10. To qualify for a waiver, however, districts must show they have exhausted all "reasonable methods" to make up the days.
Abundant snow and ice this past winter caused many districts in the state to cancel more than 10 days of school. The board approved waiver requests of a combined 66 school days for the 14 districts in Benton and Washington counties.
The Bentonville, Rogers and Fayetteville school districts each have had 13 snow days this school year. Bentonville asked for three days to be waived, while Rogers and Fayetteville asked for two.
Fayetteville changed its plans after sending a request to the state to use two days of spring break. Parents were notified last week by email the plan was scrapped because of a shortage of substitutes for the teachers who planned to be away, said Alan Wilbourn, public information officer.
Instead of making up two days next week, Fayetteville will go back to its original plan. The makeup days are now Saturday, May 3, and Memorial Day.
Michael Poore, Bentonville's superintendent, said the state's approval of Bentonville's waiver was good news. It means Bentonville's school year will end June 5 rather than June 10.
Bentonville decided to have school on a Saturday and the first two days of spring break to recover lost days.
"This has been a tough year for the whole state," Poore said. "The state board recognized we did a good job of getting as many days possible in prior to state testing."
The impact of extending the school year is felt across the community because of the way summer activities, summer jobs and vacation plans are affected, Poore said.
Dana Davis, chief executive officer and president of the Bentonville/Bella Vista Chamber of Commerce, said tourism is affected as well.
"The longer the school year goes, the fewer days people have to come travel to our community to support our businesses," Davis said.
The last day of school in Rogers will be June 6.
"We're delighted to have the two waiver days," said Janie Darr, Rogers superintendent.
There will be no school makeup days during spring break. Darr said she felt this year's calendar committed those days to teachers and parents. Next year, the first two days of spring break have been marked as possible makeup days. Internal discussions included Memorial Day as a makeup possibility, but students will have the day off.
Business owners from around Beaver Lake told her being out on Memorial Day, which kicks off the lake season, was important to their business plans, Darr said. Administrators took two days blocked out for teacher training and held school instead. Teachers made up their time during afternoon sessions.
The board modified only two requests, one from Decatur and one from Quitman. Decatur requested a waiver of seven of the 16 days it has missed, meaning it would have made up nine snow days. The board approved a waiver of six days.
Larry Ben, Decatur's superintendent, told the state Decatur officials wanted to avoid having the last day of school fall on Memorial Day. He said they considered having school on a Saturday, but didn't feel it would be an effective day of instruction.
West Fork Superintendent John Karnes was pleased with the approval of his waiver request after his district missed 21 days. That was the most of any district in Benton and Washington counties.
West Fork will make up 18 of the days, including spending all five days of a planned spring break in class. The district has made up four days and will tack the rest on to the end of the school year. The waiver excuses the district from making up the last three days missed.
"We're giving up spring break, but I expect it will be a normal week with the teachers and students getting a lot accomplished," he said.
Springdale, which has had 12 snow days, was the only Northwest Arkansas school district that didn't apply for a waiver because it already had a plan in place to make up those days.
Springdale students will go to school the first two days of spring break as well as Saturday, April 5, and one day at the end of the year, said Rick Schaeffer, district spokesman.
Charter schools Northwest Arkansas Classical Academy in Bentonville and Haas Hall Academy in Fayetteville both were granted waiver requests of three days.
NW News on 03/21/2014