MAKE-UP DAYS SET AT SCHOOLS; JACKSON AMONG THOSE HIT HARDEST

CAPE GIRARDEAU - While school districts north of Cape Girardeau have been hit hard by Mother Nature this winter, others report missing only one or two days of school because of weather.

Many schools elected to close two days in early December because of Dr. Iben Browning's advisory of a possible earthquake during the first four days of the month.

In late December, a combination of severe cold, sleet, freezing rain, and snow forced most schools to close just before the start of the Christmas break. Continued cold weather and more ice and snow in January caused many of the districts to remain closed well into the second week of the month.

The Jackson R-2 School District and Meadow Heights School District at Patton are among the school systems that have been particularly hard hit by bad weather this winter.

Jackson School Superintendent Wayne Maupin says this winter has been the worst in the district in five years. Each day, the district's 37 school buses travel over 2,000 miles, covering 550 square miles, much of it rural, gravel roads.

Jackson students missed two days in December because of the earthquake concern, followed by six more days in January due to snow and ice.

"We've had five good winters since 1985. This is our first bad one, so we can't complain," Maupin said. Since 1957, the most days the school district has ever missed was 18 during the winter of 1978-79.

Because the district covers such a large, rural area, it is more vulnerable to bad weather, Maupin explained.

"Many times, the streets in Jackson will be clear of ice and snow, but roads in parts of the county are still not safe enough for our school buses," he said.

To make up the lost days, Maupin said students were in school on Jan. 14, Martin Luther King Day, and will make up another day on President's Day, Feb. 18. The other days will be made up between now and the end of the school year.

If no additional make up days are required, Maupin said school will tentatively end May 31, the same day as commencement.

Tom Waller, superintendent of the Meadow Heights School District near Patton, reported the district has missed seven days of school because of weather. "We'll make up 3 of them in the school schedule, and the other 4 days at the end of the year," he said. "At this time, school will end on May 25, unless there are more snow days."

Waller said about 90 percent of Meadow Heights' 11 bus routes are over gravel roads. Some of them still have traces of ice on them at this time, Waller said. "This has been the worst winter since I've been here, and I've been here six years," he added.

On the east side of the Mississippi River, John Phillippe, superintendent of the Shawnee school district reported four days of school have been missed because of weather. "We have five make-up days built into our school calendar," he said. "If we miss more than five days, the state education office issues `Act of God' days, so the bad weather this month will have no impact on us. School will end on either June 5 or 6, depending on whether we have to use the other make-up day."

In the Egyptian School District, near Tamms, students have missed two days of school because of icy roads. However, the district has extra make-up days in its calendar.

Said Superintendent Mike Corzine, "We're well within our limits. The state requires that we have 5 make-up days in our calendar. We put in 8 days."

Corzine said much of the bad weather occurred during the Christmas break. He said if it had occurred while school was in session, the district would have missed quite a few days.

Other schools contacted by the Missourian report missing only two or three days of school; two for the earthquake threat and one weather day.

In Cape Girardeau, Superintendent Dr. Art Turner said one missed day was made up Jan. 21. The other day will be made up Feb. 18. At this time, there are no plans to shorten the district's spring break, March 25-29, Turner added.

In Scott City, school Superintendent Bob Brison said the district has missed three days; two of them in December because of the earthquake threat, and one weather day. Two of the missed days have already been made up.

In Chaffee, students missed three days of school. One day was made up Jan 14, and the other will be made up Feb. 18. No decision has been made on the third day because there is still another month of winter left, officials said.

The extended, 30-day weather outlook for Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois indicates above average temperatures and near normal amounts of precipitation in February.

Said one school superintendent after hearing the 30-day forecast, "That's the best news I've heard all winter."