The Fern Ridge School District has had many weather-related delays and cancellations this winter, with snow and ice plaguing the local area and much of Oregon.
Portland got the second-highest total of snow in the history of the city this year, at 10.8 inches. In Lane County, lows have reached 20 degrees with total precipitation reaching 6.1 inches.
With all of the cancellations and delays, talk has sprung up among Elmira High School staff and students about how many hours of educational instruction is required — and how many hours will need to be made up.
Students in grades 9 through 11 must have 990 hours of instruction, while seniors must have 966 hours of instruction.
“We are over the ‘cushion’ that is built into our calendar for ninth- to 12th-graders,” Superintendent Gary Carpenter told Falcon News.
Ninth-graders, sophomore and juniors have lost about six hours of instructional time, while seniors have lost 16.8 hours of educational instruction.
“We have lost three full days (about six hours) and three delays (about two hours each), so we are down around 24 hours,” Carpenter said about the shortfall in instructional time.
If there hadn’t been delays, ninth- through 11-graders would have had about 1,000 hours and seniors 973 hours of education time. After the delays and cancellations, though, ninth- through 11-graders have 983.7 hours and seniors have 949.2 hours of instructional time.
Students have heard many rumors regarding the lost instructional hours and how the district is planning to make them up. Some of the rumors include extending the year, removing some early release days, or canceling some teacher work days.
“K-8 we are still above,” Carpenter said about the “cushion” provided for snow days.
Kindergarteners through eighth-graders do not have to make up days. Those students need only 900 hours of instructional time.
“When this occurs, we always try to make them up before the end of the school year vs. adding days at the end,” Carpenter said.
Despite the fact that Carpenter and other district officials are working on a plan, there is nothing concrete as of now. They would like to have a plan before spring break but are trying to get past the crazy weather before implementing the plan.
“We are considering several options, and I hope to have all parties on board with a plan in the next couple weeks,” Carpenter said last week.
