Tough Winter Means Short Spring Break For Some

Robert Stockand, father of three Bentonville School District students, didn't have a problem with the district using Monday and Tuesday to make up snow days this year. His kids didn't mind, either.

"They're happy, and they're with their friends and they're learning," Stockand said Tuesday while visiting Thomas Jefferson Elementary School where he has a third- and a fourth-grader.

AT A GLANCE

Not Such A Break

Eleven of the 15 school districts in Benton and Washington counties decided to use at least one day of spring break to make up snow days. The Fayetteville, Greenland, Prairie Grove and Rogers school districts kept their entire spring breaks. Here are the districts and the days they were or are open this week.

• Bentonville: Monday, Tuesday

• Decatur: Monday through Friday

• Elkins: Monday, Tuesday

• Farmington: Monday

• Gentry: Monday, Tuesday

• Gravette: Monday through Wednesday

• Lincoln: Monday, Tuesday

• Pea Ridge: Monday, Tuesday

• Siloam Springs: Monday, Tuesday

• Springdale: Monday, Tuesday

• West Fork: Monday through Friday

Source: Staff Report

This is spring break week, but for many Northwest Arkansas students, it's an abbreviated break. That's because 11 out of 15 school districts in Benton and Washington counties decided to use at least part of the week to make up days lost to winter weather.

The only districts open all week are Decatur and West Fork. They lost 16 and 21 days, respectively, to snow this year. Larry Ben, Decatur superintendent, said Tuesday he didn't have an attendance rate for the week, but it didn't seem below normal.

"The number one reason for using the entire week was to get some effective instruction in prior to (state) testing," Ben said.

Decatur has 559 students. Ben feared if the district had stayed open for only part of the week, attendance would have been weaker during the days it was open.

"When you have a high rate of absenteeism, that translates to teachers being reluctant to move forward because not everyone is there," Ben said. "It does affect instruction."

Lester Long, West Fork's curriculum director, said teachers opted to forgo spring break to help students prepare for standardized testing, some of which starts next week.

Attendance in West Fork on Monday was about 88 percent of the district's 1,200 students, Long said. The district normally has 93 to 94 percent.

Bentonville schools had 75 percent attendance Monday, according to Teresa Minyard, district database administrator. Bentonville's attendance on a typical day is in the mid-90 percent range, said Michael Poore, district superintendent.

Poore said he thought Tuesday's attendance, which wasn't available, would be a little lower than Monday's.

Bentonville had about 150 staff absences Monday, which is more than normal, but the district had enough substitutes to cover all but three absences, Poore said.

Several teachers from R.E. Baker and Elm Tree elementary schools, which are on the district's nontraditional calendar and were able to keep their entire spring break, filled in at the other schools as needed.

"It was nice of them to step up," said Galen Havner, the district's human resources director.

Havner spent Monday and Tuesday filling in as principal at Thomas Jefferson Elementary School. The principal and assistant principal both had to be away, but the rest of the staff was in, Havner said. Student attendance at the school was 83 percent.

Springdale schools had attendance rates of 85 percent Monday and 81 percent Tuesday, according to Jared Cleveland, deputy superintendent.

Cynthia Voss, principal of Springdale's Shaw Elementary School, said attendance there was about 84 percent Monday, a little lower than it was on the recent Saturday makeup day Springdale had.

"We had two days of great learning (this week)," Voss said. "The teachers worked hard to plan lessons that were interactive so kids could get involved. The busier we keep them, the faster the time goes."

Attendance was lighter in Farmington on Monday, the only day this week the district planned to hold a makeup snow day. Bryan Law, superintendent, said attendance was about 60 to 65 percent of the 2,300 students.

"We excused people who had plans to travel," Law said.

Each of the 15 school districts in Benton and Washington counties lost at least 12 days because of winter weather this year with West Fork leading the way at 21. The state last week granted waivers to the districts so they didn't have to make up all of the days missed beyond 10.

NW News on 03/26/2014

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