Makeup days vary for schools

by Hilary Matheson Daily Inter Lake
| January 17, 2015 5:57 PM

January 2010 was the last time all school districts in the Flathead closed due to inclement weather, according to the Flathead County Superintendent of Schools office.

This year, schools were closed for two days — Jan. 5 and 6 — when as much as 2 feet of snow fell over 48 hours.

Several school districts will make up one or both snow days because the state forgives one snow day per calendar year.

Some schools will add time to the school day. Rather than base required attendance on the number of days school is in session, attendance is based on a minimum of aggregate hours students are in the classroom.

According to state law, full-day kindergarten through third grade must attend at least 720 hours while grades four through 12 must attend 1,080 hours.

Here’s a rundown on how schools are making up for the Jan. 5-6 snow days:

Three districts — Creston, Evergreen and Whitefish — will hold classes on Monday, the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. Evergreen students also will be in school Feb. 16 (Presidents Day).
Beginning March 4 through the end of the school year at West Valley School, Wednesdays will be full school days — rather than having early release — to make up the required hours of attendance.
Swan River School District will make up a snow day April 27.
Two days of classes June 11 and 12 have been added to the school year for Kalispell Public Schools and tentatively for Pleasant Valley School.
Kila School will make up a snow day June 12.
Schools that have enough hours of attendance built into their calendars will not schedule any make-up days. Those districts include Bigfork, Cayuse Prairie, Columbia Falls, Olney-Bissell, Smith Valley and West Glacier.
Fair-Mont-Egan, Helena Flats, Marion and Somers-Lakeside school districts will make a final decision on snow makeup days at upcoming school board meetings. The Fair-Mont-Egan School Board meets at 5 p.m. Monday at the school. The Helena Flats School Board will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the school. Marion School Board will meet at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 11. Somers-Lakeside School Board will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Somers Middle School.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.