Schools face toll from snow days

With a light sprinkling of snow here and there throughout the winter, snow-days didn't seem like something to worry about this year in Whitman County. January stayed close to average both for temperature and precipitation.

Then February hit. While far from the coldest on record, this past February, according to the National Climatic Data Center, with its monthly average temperature of 24.6 degrees, was more than 10 degrees colder than average. It was almost 10 degrees colder than January. Add to all that cold the month's precipitation being almost twice of what is normal and it is not really a surprise that Whitman County schools have seen so many snow-days this year.

According to Colton Superintendent Paul Clark, to decide a snow day, schools ask the question, "Can we get everyone here and home safely?"

"It's ultimately roads," explained Clark who went on to explain how one person from maintenance leaves home around three in the morning to check the bus routes, communicate with people from state and county, and then contact the school district's superintendent at around five to let them know about the situation.

Colton had three full snow-days as well as one two-hour late start in February. The school will only have to make up one day, as the school board calculated two make-up days in to the schedule.

"The board is wise in how they organize things," stated Clark.

The school district hasn't decided how they will make up the day. The options are to add to the schedule which could be a day extra at the end of the school year, a day over a weekend, or enough days with extra hours at the end of the day to make up the difference.

Schools can be allowed under the 180 days threshold under specific circumstances, however they still need to meet 1,027 classroom hours.

Garfield-Palouse had two snow-days as well as two late starts in February. The school district had already made plan's for the possible need to make up an extra day, scheduled for this coming Monday, March 11. The school hasn't decided how to make up the second day. They may just tack the school-day onto the end of the year. Or the school could apply to have the day waived by the state because the day was missed while the state of emergency was in effect, though the school district hasn't yet looked into that option yet.

The severe weather the week of Feb. 12 caused Gov. Inslee to issue a proclamation declaring a state of emergency for the whole state.

This February, LaCrosse had a record of eight full snow-days. Thinking the snow was done before the last week of February, Superintendent Doug Curtis had filed for a waiver when the last week's snowstorm hit, sending students home early and causing an extra three snow-days at the end of the month. Only one of the school's late starts over the month did not turn into a full snow-day.

Before the snow came down, the school had built two possible make up days into the schedule. The sheer number of snow days has the superintendent talking about the possibility of adding days to the end of the year, though not of taking away any of spring break.

Not only is that believed to be a record for the amount of snow-days in LaCrosse, but it also tops the snow-days of any school in Whitman County this year.

Oakesdale ended up with two snow days in February. The school has already applied for the waiver for the first snow-day and will probably apply for a second. The snow-days and the multiple late starts were in large part due to roads being closed.

Pullman had two snow-days this February.

"I'd say that's on the high side of average," said Joe Thornton, Pullman's director of operations. The school district is still deciding how they will make up the days, discussing whether they should apply for the waiver or add days to the school year.

Rosalia's principal, Matt McLain, noted that even the single snow-day the school had is a rare occurrence. Rosalia did have five late starts which also made February a challenge for the school. The school will add an extra day to the end of the year because the school doesn't qualify for the waiver.

Steptoe had its first snow-day in more than five years, as well as four late starts and two early outs due to the weather. One of those early outs was after only about an hour of school, the students had arrived and were in classes, but the concern was raised as to whether the buses could safely get the students home, so they were allowed an early out. The school has already applied for and mailed the waiver. If the waiver is rejected the school will probably be holding an extra day the Monday following the school's scheduled last day.

St. John/Endicott schools had seven snow-days, all but one of which started out as a late start. The school district did have two late starts, one of which happened the only day of the school's early release. During the first part of the month it was the snow accumulation that was the primary cause for the snow-days, but in the later part of the month it was the drifts that caused the issues. While the staff wasn't sure if seven snow-days was a record high, it certainly takes second place for most snow-days in the the county.

The St. John/Endicott school district built one snow-day make-up day in April into their schedule. The school district will apply to have some of the snow-days waived, but it hasn't been decided how they all will be made up otherwise.

Tekoa experienced two weeks of harsh weather interfering with classes. The weeks of Feb. 11 and Feb. 25 not only caused a number of late starts and early outs, but three snow-days. The school plans on applying for the waiver, but if the days are not waived, they will be made up for at the end of the year.

Colfax had no snow-days in February, though they did have two late starts and two early outs, so will not need to apply for the waiver to make up days at the end of the school year.