Will Cincinnati Area Schools Need to Make Up Snow and Cold Days

Cincinnati: Last week, Cincinnati Public Schools had to close four out of five days because of snow and dangerously cold temperatures. Other nearby districts also canceled classes, which was a bummer since it was supposed to be the first week back after winter break.

So, are students and staff going to have to make up those missed days? Not necessarily. Back in 2014, Ohio changed the rules, allowing schools to count hours instead of days. This means they don’t always have to add extra days at the end of the year.

Most schools plan for extra hours in their schedules to cover emergencies like snow days. If they end up below the required hours, then they might have to extend the school year. For instance, Oak Hills lost about 18 hours due to three snow days, but Princeton said they’re good since they scheduled way above the minimum hours.

If more snow days pile up, some schools might have to add days at the end of the year. Others, like Milford and Reading, are thinking about using remote learning days instead of canceling school altogether.

According to state law, schools need at least 1,001 hours for grades seven through 12 and 910 hours for younger kids, including all-day kindergarten. Schools can schedule more hours than required to handle unexpected closures, and any extra hours don’t need to be made up.

For example, Columbus City Schools schedules 1,051 hours for grades seven through 12. If a school has to close for a while, it can still be okay if they have enough extra hours.

If a district falls short of the required hours, they can use online lessons to make up for the missed time. Schools need to have a plan in place before the year starts to cover any closures, explaining how they’ll make up the hours.

They can use online day plans, also known as blizzard bags, for closures due to bad weather, emergencies, or damage to school buildings.