CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Kanawha County Schools may revisit having a two-hour delay policy after a presentation from a Dupont Middle School teacher at last Thursday’s meeting.
Currently, the KCS system either closes school or opens, with no delay policy that other nearby school systems have in place.
“Just calling off school is pretty drastic when on many of those snow days, we probably would have serviced our students and families better if we had a two-hour delay,” said Fred Albert, who made a plea to the board to reconsider.
So far, Kanawha Schools have missed seven days this winter. Superintendent Ron Duerring said they would revisit the matter, but didn’t think a delay policy would have made a difference this season.
“All the days that we’ve called off would have been called off all day,” Duerring said. “There was probably just one day in there that might have benefited us. I guess what the next step is we’ll bring it to the board and discuss whether we want to move forward with that or not.”
Albert pointed out how disruptive snow days can be to both the students and teachers trying to develop lesson plans.
“It is really horrible for your lesson plans because you’re constantly revising,” he said. “Not only that, it’s difficult to keep the children motivated when there are two days in the middle of the week that are disrupted, to try and come back on a Thursday or Friday and carry on in the same vain is just so disruptive.”
Albert also said that teachers and students would much rather get the day in during the winter if at all possible, rather than adding on days into the hot summer.
“We all know as educators that a day in February is totally unlike a day in June. When June rolls around, kids want to be out of school.”
The school board didn’t specify a time for revisiting the issue. Three of the days missed this year due to snow have been added on to the calendar after Memorial Day, with the last day of school currently slated for June 2.