Kennewick School Board discusses snow day make-ups

The Kennewick School Board last night accepted a memorandum of understanding with the Kennewick Educators Association (KEA), allowing the district to eliminate early release days in all grades for the remainder of the school year. District officials say there is still a lot that has to be worked out, but by extending the days currently scheduled for early release, students and teachers may avoid holding classes through June 21.

The Kennewick School District has cancelled school for eight days so far this school year, because of an unusual winter, including record amounts of snow, and freezing fog that has led to icy roads.

"This is the most unusual winter I've experienced in my time lifetime in the Tri-Cities," Superintendent Dave Bond told a room full of parents and high school seniors at Wednesday night's school board meeting. "We're trying to come up with the best solution given the challenges that we have."

Governor Jay Inslee has helped out by declaring a state of emergency for Benton, Franklin, and several other counties earlier this month, allowing the district to apply for a waiver of the requirement that the district hold classes for 180 days. However, there are other requirements that can't be waived,

"There are certain conditions that apply that have to be met in order to even apply for that waiver," Bond said. Those conditions include:

• Must be in school through June 14th
• Schools must make up at least 3 school days.
• Must meet an average of 1,027 instructional hours for the school year.

If the district simply made up all of the 8 days missed so far, students will be in class until June 21st. Bond said they recognize that student's and teachers' families have summer vacation plans that may have been in the works for months, and simply extending the school year could create a hardship.

Bond said that by eliminating early release days for the remainder of the school year, the district can add back hours of instruction that were missed by 2-hour delays as well as the school cancellations-- but not if there are any more delays or cancellations.

KEA has been working with school officials for several days, and did sign a memorandum of understanding agreeing to forego those early release days for the remainder of the school year, starting February 1. School officials will continue working with KEA, and 6 other collective bargaining groups that have to agree to the changes, to possibly have students attend class on President's Day. Doing that, would add 6 instructional hours, and coupled with hours gained from eliminating the early release days, would give the district a small cushion just in case winter isn't done making its presence known.

The other challenge facing the school district, is what to do about Senior graduation. Right now, graduation is scheduled for June 3rd. KSD signed a 5-year contract with the Toyota Center to hold graduations at the facility on the first Saturday of every June. Changing the date could end up costing the district more money, but the Toyota Center is holding the center for the district for June 10th, in case the graduation is moved out.

There are additional state requirements when it comes to Seniors and instructional hours. Seniors can't be released from class more than 5 days earlier than the rest of the students. Meaning that if students in grades K-11 must be in school through June 14th, Seniors must be in school through June 8th.

"OSPI says that they're willing to consider create ways to make up those days, and they suggested that a lot of the other school districts facing the same situation are considering adding Saturdays to make up the instructional time," Bond said. The board did not make any decision about whether to keep graduation on the 3rd, or move it to the 10th.

KONA spoke to a group of Kennewick High School seniors who said they would much rather go to school on a few Saturdays than change the graduation date.

"I know a lot of people who have spent thousands of dollars planning trips, leaving a day or two after graduation," she said.

At the direction of the board, Bond and other district officials will continue working with employee unions to find ways to work in the instructional hours for all grades, without extending the school year beyond June 14th, and without changing the date of Senior graduation, but no final decisions were made by the board at Wednesday night's meeting.