Staff report

Mother Nature has become a political football in Frankfort, with lawmakers at the Capitol wrangling over how to best provide relief to school districts struggling to make up days of instruction missed due to winter weather.

In Crittenden County, board of education members have been presented with several options to consider for making up the remaining 15 of 17 instruction days missed over the winter. But all the potential scenarios depend on what sort of relief comes from legislators in Frankfort.

“There’s some legislation (being considered) right now,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Rachel Yarbrough told board members March 11 during a working session. “We’re trying to hold off on making any decisions until the last possible minute because of that fact. We believe we are going to get some options, but we are not sure what those are at this time.”

After the House of Representatives offered a version of relief for school districts to the Senate on an 82-8 vote last week, on Monday, the Senate sent its own version down the hall of the Capitol to the House on a 38-0 vote.

Long bouts of snow and ice have forced some districts across Kentucky to miss more than 30 instructional days this winter. Those recurrent absences have school employees and parents wondering how long the school year might be extended to make up for lost time. That could conflict with summer vacations, sports tournaments and continuing education plans by teachers.

The current school calendar in Crittenden County has students leaving for summer break on June 5, with graduation set for June 6. The original school calender slated May 14 as the last day for students, with graduation on May 16.

But the school calendar as it is presented now is a work in progress, particularly until educators know what they’re dealing with out of Frankfort.

Under the Senate's plan, local school boards could submit revised calendars to the state education commissioner to adjust for lost instructional time. Changes could include extending school days or having students in session on scheduled days off. School days could not exceed seven instructional hours. If districts are still struggling to make up all lost time, school boards could request a state waiver from the required 1,062 instructional hours in a school year.

The Senate attached those provisions to House Bill 211 and then passed it Monday. The measure now rests with the House.

However, House Speaker Greg Stumbo (D-Prestonsburg) said the Senate plan is too complicated and that lawmakers from the House and Senate probably will have to negotiate their differences on the legislation.

The Democratic-led House has already approved a separate bill, House Bill 410, that would give school districts the power to eliminate up to 10 days of school because of bad weather without justifying the decision to the Kentucky Department of Education.

“The simpler the better, and the sooner we get answers to the districts the better," Stumbo told The (Lexington) Herald Leader of proposed legislation dealing with snow days. "I would rather give the superintendents the option. They know better than anybody else what they are facing locally."

The Senate takes a dim view of the House bill because it does not require school districts to plan on how to partially compensate for lost snow days by using scheduled makeup days, Republican senators said.

Though no agreement had been reached at press time Tuesday, House and Senate leaders hope to work out an agreement on snow-day relief legislation as quickly as possible to allow school districts to reset their academic calendars. The governor would have to sign any legislation before it becomes law.

There is also proposed legislation that would allow schools to be in session on primary election day, May 20, which is currently prohibited.

Crittenden County Board of Education meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Rocket Arena, where the calendar is sure to be discussed. Because of the uncertainty of state legislation, it is unclear how the

board may address altering the current calendar.

However. Dr. Yarbrough said any proposed calendars for Crittenden County do not change days off for spring break or Memorial Day. She said the goal is to be out of school by the end of May without compromising needed instructional days.