Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 8, 1994 TAG: 9403080037
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
And it's likely to be remembered by children who must go to school on Saturdays to help make up days lost to snow and ice.
The school chiefs are hoping that the bad weather is over, but they know the snow and ice might return before spring.
Salem and Roanoke County children will have to attend school this Saturday. Salem students, who went to school on one Saturday in February, will also go to school Saturday, March 26.
If Salem makes it to the finals of the state Group AA basketball tournament Saturday in Charlottesville, however, Salem schools might be closed.
"I am sure a lot of students and parents will want to go to the game, if we are in it," Superintendent Wayne Tripp said.
School systems in the region have missed record numbers of days because of snow and ice - some as many as 20. During a normal winter, they miss three or four.
Some school systems have tried to avoid using Saturdays as makeup days, because they say the absentee rate usually is higher.
"We tried it in the 1980s, but attendance was so poor that we decided not to do it anymore," said John Kent, Bedford County's superintendent.
But Tripp said the attendance was high on the Saturday last month when Salem's schools were open. The rate was 88 percent, compared with a normal rate of 95 percent.
Montgomery County has decided to shorten its spring break and make up the lost days in ways other than Saturday classes.
There is a general feeling that absenteeism would be higher on Saturdays, said John Martin, Montgomery's assistant superintendent for support services.
Tripp said Saturdays have been scheduled in Salem to comply with student, parent and staff desires to maintain a full week of spring break.
Giles County students must attend school on Saturday, April 9.
Roanoke has avoided Saturdays. If it misses one more day, however, Roanoke students will have to go to school on April 23, a Saturday.
In addition to getting up early on cold, snowy mornings to decide whether to call off school, the superintendents have had to grapple with leaky roofs, fallen trees, storm damage and no power at some schools.
Roanoke will have to spend an estimated $600,000 to repair roofs and other facilities.
Roanoke County suffered $20,000 damage to buildings and roofs.
Bedford County must replace the roof on the Montvale Elementary School.
Botetourt County and Franklin County escaped with minor damage, but lost some trees.
"We got off pretty lucky," said Lee Cheatham, manager of business and finance for Franklin County schools.
Salem and Montgomery County have leaky roofs that need to be repaired.
The bad weather "has played havoc with our schedule and the continuity of instruction," said Wayne Harris, Roanoke superintendent.
Harris said it has been difficult to maintain a learning environment when the children are excited and teachers are frustrated.
Roanoke was thrown off schedule when it missed a full week in January the week before exams were to begin. Exams were postponed a week, causing the second semester to begin late.
On those days when classes begin one or two hours late, Harris said, the daily schedule is altered and can hamper learning, too.
Bayes Wilson, Roanoke County's superintendent, said the large number of missed days has affected the learning environment. But teachers and students alike have tried to compensate for the lost time and make the environment as normal as possible, Wilson said.
Kent said he believes the large number of missed days could cause a drop in test scores for some children.
"I think we will see a negative effect. It has been so disconcerting and hard to get in a full week of classes," Kent said.
"It has been the darnedest winter I have ever seem," Tripp said.
Roanoke has missed 10 days, fewer than other school divisions in the region. Craig and Patrick counties have each missed 20 days. Montgomery has missed 17.
Bedford, Botetourt and Roanoke counties have missed 14 days each. Salem and Franklin County have missed 11 days.
by CNB