In an effort to make up for all the days off due to Michigan’s wild winter weather this season, the Oxford school district is extending the school day at all five of its elementary facilities.
Starting today (Feb. 20), Daniel Axford’s school day will be extended by 16 minutes, Oxford Elementary’s by 13 minutes and each of the other three (Clear Lake, Lakeville and Leonard) by one minute.
School days will now end at the following times: Daniel Axford 4:10 p.m., Oxford Elementary 3:59 p.m., Clear Lake 3:46 p.m, Lakeville 3:55 p.m. and Leonard 3:46 p.m.
The reason behind the extensions at DA and OES is a little more obvious than at the other three schools.
Not counting the district-wide cancellation of classes on Monday, Feb. 18 due to dangerously icy roads, DA missed eight days this year while OES missed seven.
The state allows each school to miss up to 30 hours a year (the rough equivalent of five school days) without being required to make up any time. DA and OES were clearly over the limit.
But the other three elementary schools, again not counting Monday’s cancellation, all missed five days, so why do they have to add one minute to their days?
Deputy Superintendent Nancy Kammer explained it’s because their school days are all a little more than six hours.
‘They’re normal school day is six hours and 14 minutes,? she said.
So, even though they missed five days, in terms of hours they missed 31 hours and 10 minutes ? more than the 30 hours the state forgives. ‘We have a little bit of time to make up,? Kammer said. ‘Not very much, but they do have a little bit to make up.?
But the middle school and high school also missed five days (once again not counting Monday), so why aren’t they having any minutes added to their days?
‘They had some extra time built into their schedules,? Kammer explained.
Those schools had more hours scheduled for the year than is necessary. Schools are required to conduct 1,098 hours of instruction time a year.
So, even though the middle school and high school days are longer than six hours, ‘they had a little more time built into their annual schedules? to make up for the loss, according to Kammer.
It all brings us back to what’s going to be done to make up for Monday’s cancellation. ‘We have to negotiate that yet,? Kammer said. ‘We’ve got some options.?
Those options include counting staff Professional Development days as part of the required 1,098 hours or turning some of those half-days at the end of the year into full days.
‘Those are some of the options we’ll probably use,? Kammer said. ‘I wouldn’t see us adding more time to the school day.?
Kammer noted there’s a possibility the state might increase the number of missed hours it’s willing to forgive this year based on the large number of school closures due to severe winter weather.