Snow days bill would slice down schedule

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- In past years legislation to give a break to school districts that had a substantial number of snow days has come from lawmakers representing Missouri's northern counties.

So state Sen. Bill Foster, R-Poplar Bluff, considers it "quite hilarious" that a Bootheel legislator is handling the bill this year.

"We've had a very unusual year in Southeast Missouri and the entire southern part of Missouri," Foster said. "Some school districts in my area have missed as many as 16 days."

Foster's bill would allow districts to forgo making up as many as five missed days because of inclement weather. The legislation applies only to the current school year.

The Senate Education Committee, which Foster chairs, held a hearing on the bill Tuesday and unanimously voted to send it to the full Senate.

Like an identical bill that is already on the House debate calendar, Foster's measure is on a special fast track reserved for noncontroversial legislation. The House bill is also sponsored by a Southeast Missouri lawmaker, state Rep. Kevin Engler, R-Farmington.

Southern exposure

Whereas the northern part of Missouri has enjoyed a relatively mild winter, the opposite has been true for southern Missouri.

Under the proposals, schools would have to make up the first seven days missed due to snow, but not the not next five. Any missed days in excess of 12 would have to be rescheduled.

For example, the Cape Girardeau and Jackson school districts have each canceled classes eight days so far this year. Assuming there are no more snow days, the districts would have to make up only seven days. If there is more heavy snowstorms, the district could close school four more days this year without having to reschedule classes for those days.

Scott City, which has canceled school 11 days for snow this year, would also have fewer days to make up.

Various education lobbying groups endorsed the bill.

Mike Woods of the Missouri State Teachers Association said many educators take college courses in the summer in order to maintain their state certification. If the public school year stretches too late into June, it could prevent them from taking those courses and jeopardize their certification.

A late-ending school year could also cut into time set aside for summer school.

Both bills contain emergency clauses, which means they would because law immediately upon receiving Gov. Bob Holden's signature.

The bills are SB 624 (Foster) and HB 554 (Engler).

mpowers@semissourian.com

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