ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, February 3, 1996 TAG: 9602040013
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
The April spring break for thousands of Western Virginia students is slowly being shortened by the winter snow.
It already had been reduced for children in Bedford and Pulaski counties because of earlier snowstorms that caused some localities to miss up to 10 days.
Now the break probably will be shortened for students in Roanoke and other localities because of the latest storm that closed schools Friday and might keep students home early next week.
Most school systems had preserved spring break despite the earlier storms. But some superintendents said Friday that they soon will have to consider using part of the break to make up missed days, particularly if there is more bad weather.
Some officials are worried that schools might not open Monday if snow keeps falling and temperatures remain below freezing.
"If we get 2 feet, it's going to be a problem," said James Gallion, Roanoke County's assistant superintendent. "We don't have the equipment to move that much snow. That's what happened before."
Botetourt County Superintendent Clarence McClure said it might be difficult for snow plows to clear rural roads if the frigid weather continues through the weekend.
"As cold as it is, it's going to take time for the snow to go away," McClure said.
Roanoke Superintendent Wayne Harris said he is optimistic that conditions will improve so schools can open Monday. "We won't make that decision until Sunday, but I'm hoping it'll warm up by then."
Until Friday, the three school systems in the Roanoke Valley were still scheduled for a break during the week of April 8-12.
But Roanoke probably will use part of the break to make up Friday and any more days that its misses, Harris said.
For the moment, the April break remains intact for Roanoke County and Salem despite the day off Friday. But the county will reduce the vacation if it misses two more days, and Salem will shorten its break if it misses three more days.
School divisions have used a variety of options to try to preserve the break. Some have extended the school year. Others are holding classes on what were to have been workdays for teachers, forcing some teachers to fill out report cards and do other work on Saturdays.
Some parent-teacher conference days also have been shifted to Saturdays. No localities have scheduled Saturday classes so far, but that hasn't been ruled out.
"Saturday classes are a last resort. I wouldn't say we would never do that, but we will try to avoid that," said Doris Dawson, personnel director for Pulaski County schools.
Still other localities are using "banked time" - a term used to describe instructional time beyond the state minimum requirements - to make up some of the missed days.
Schools build some snow days into their calendars and then give students extra vacation if the time is not used.
Most localities in the Roanoke and New River valleys have missed eight or nine days this year, while a few have missed 10 or 11. Two years ago, some localities in the region missed 15 days because of bad weather and lost their spring breaks.
Bedford County has reduced its break by four days to avoid extending the school year and delaying high school graduations.
When Bedford County changed its graduation date last year because it missed so many days, there were complaints from some parents because it interfered with family travel and vacation plans, said Amy Smith, public information officer.
Smith said the calendar committee decided this year that no change would be made in the graduation date for Bedford County schools. Instead, the spring break would be reduced. County schools will be closed April 5-8, giving children a four-day break that includes a weekend.
Pulaski County has eliminated two days of spring break and extended the school year by five days, to June 7.
Salem has preserved spring break by using several teacher workdays for classes and requiring teachers to work some Saturdays. A parent-teacher conference day also has been shifted to Saturday.
Botetourt County schools will be closed April 5-8 for the break. To help make up the missed days, the school year has been extended by four days, to June 7, and schools will be open Memorial Day.
Virginia requires schools to make up their first five missed days, but the state can waive making up the next five. Any days beyond that must be made up. Botetourt will seek a waiver, but most localities in the Roanoke and New River valleys won't.
With a waiver, Botetourt can miss three more days before it will shorten spring break, McClure said.
Franklin County is using banked time and holding class on several teacher workdays to help save its spring break.
Although Pulaski County has set a plan for making up the missed days, some New River Valley localities are waiting to see if harsh winter weather strikes again.
Floyd County included some snow days in its calendar and had classes on some teacher workdays to make up the first 10 days missed this year. But now at 11 days and counting, Superintendent Terry Arbogast said he plans to wait before deciding on additional calendar changes. But spring break from April 5-8 will not be cut, he said.
Radford Superintendent Michael Wright said he was unwilling to speculate on makeup days and changes in the school calendar. Radford is making up some days by adding 15 minutes to the school day.
Montgomery County Superintendent Herman Bartlett said the school system will try to make up every day because two of the four high schools are on the block-schedule system, in which students take fewer classes but meet for longer periods of time. The School Board will make the final decision on the makeup schedule after the chance of rough weather has lessened, he said.
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