
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, February 15, 1994                   TAG: 9402150038
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Joel Turner
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

STORM THE ICING ON SCHOOLS' WOES

The latest ice storm has created even more scheduling nightmares for some school systems in Western Virginia that have missed a dozen or more days because of bad weather.

The localities will use different methods to compensate for the latest lost days.

Roanoke will have school on Saturday, April 23, to make up for last Friday - if there are no more missed days.

If Roanoke has two or three more missed days, however, the lost time will be made up between April 6 and April 8 of the spring break instead of on Saturdays.

Roanoke County will make up last Friday - in addition to one earlier missed day - by extending the school day by 15 minutes for elementary schools and 14 minutes for high schools for the rest of the school year.

Salem officials expect to decide today how to make up last Friday.

Bedford County will extend the school year by two more days to make up for Friday and Monday. The school year will end June 16.

Franklin County has used the last day of spring break to cover the lost time. If there are more missed days, students will have to go to school on Saturday or the school day will be extended, said Superintendent Leonard Gereau.

"This shows again why the state should let us open before Labor Day," Gereau said.

The state requires school systems to have 180 days or 990 hours of classes a year.

by CNB