By Jim Siegel
Gannett Columbus Bureau

COLUMBUS - Students might not find much reason to celebrate snow days next year.

Coming off one of the worst winters in recent history, the Ohio House-passed budget would end so-called "calamity days" - those five days each year schools can close for weather, boiler breakdowns or other uncontrollable events.

HOW IT WORKS

Current minimum requirements 182 school days Up to five calamity days. Five-hour days for Grades 1-6, excluding lunch period. 5.5-hour days for Grades 7-12, excluding lunch period. Under the bill No calamity days. 910 hours for Grades 1-8, excluding lunch. 1,001 hours for Grades 9-12, excluding lunch.

Instead, schools may have to make up hours missed, either by tacking them onto the end of each school day, or by adding days to the year.

"I have no problem making up the days. I think we should make them up," said Jacqueline Campbell, superintendent of Ridgedale Local in Marion County, which missed seven days this winter. "We are supposed to be here, and we have a lot of standards to meet."

Current law requires 182 school days, but allows up to five calamity days. Under the bill, calamity days would be eliminated, and classroom requirements would change to 910 hours for Grades 1-8, and 1,001 hours for Grades 9-12.

The state Board of Education has recommended the change for years, citing the need for more flexibility and local control.

"Instead of the state dictating school calendars, it lets local school boards set up their own agendas," said J.C. Benton, spokesman for the Ohio Department of Education.

Current state law requires that Grades 1-6 be in school for at least five hours per day, excluding lunch. For Grades 7-12, the minimum is 5.5 hours. That would equal 182 days under the new hourly requirement.

Most schools already hold classes for longer than the state minimum. Those additional hours could be banked and used to cover snow days, Benton said.

Northern Local schools in Perry County missed 13 days this winter, which has pushed its school year through the first week of June.

Superintendent Jack Porter said if schools can bank their classroom time over the minimum, the change should make little difference to his schedule. His school days are at least 30 minutes over state minimums, he said.

But Porter is still pessimistic about the chances of the banked hours becoming a reality.

Without banking, Porter said future school years could get pushed into mid-to-late June, which he doesn't think will benefit students.

Students, parents and even teachers expect the year to end at a certain time, Porter said.

"You've got teachers who, even though they are making up days, feel like they are working extra days," he said. "It's a mindset thing."

The budget is currently in the Senate and will be completed in mid-June.