Saturday school to make up snow days

— Pea Ridge school students will lose two days of spring break and attend school on one Saturday.

That is, if there are no additional school days lost because of snow. There have, as of Tuesday, been eight instructional days missed.

Pea Ridge schools were closed Monday, open on Tuesday.

School Board members approved a change in the school calendar Monday night at the regular board meeting. The option presented had been approved bythe Personnel Policy Committee. School superintendent Mike Van Dyke’s recommendation to approve the change was unanimously approved.

“What if only half the children show up? Will it count as a school day?” Jenny Wood, board president, asked, and was assured by Van Dyke it would count.

“The State Department (of Education) says that to constitute a full day, you have to have six hours of instructional time,” Bonnie Fullmer, curriculum coordinator, said. There must be 178 days of instructional time, according to state standards.

With the change in the calendar, the last day of school is set for June 1. The Saturday has not been determined, but school officials recommended it happen before Benchmark testing which is in April.

A new limited bus service policy was enacted in the event of inclement weather.

This service was in affect forthe first time Monday, Feb.

1, after school was canceled the Friday before for the sixth day this school year, due to the winter weather.

“This is the first year for (the limited bus route),” Van Dyke said.

The district realized the weather will not be forgiving on country roads.

“We gave prior notice, made it to where (the kids) can get to centralized locations,” he said, adding they sent letters home with students and posted the information online.

Unless there are extenuating circumstances, students are responsible for days missed when this limited bus route is in place.

“Any time, every day plays a part in your membership,” Van Dyke said, referring to the average daily attendance the district isrequired to send in to the state of Arkansas.

Pea Ridge Schools, in the event of inclement weather, will operate school buses only on paved surfaces having no steep hills. The following bus routes are affected by this policy: 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 15, 17, 21, 22, 23, 25, 26, 27, 28 and 30. Maps and information are available on the district’s Web site, http://prs.k12.ar.us.

News, Pages 1 on 02/10/2010