Will students need to make up snow days? - East Idaho News
Education

Will students need to make up snow days?

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POCATELLO — A lot of students across eastern Idaho got some extra days off this past week as school districts in our region had multiple snow days.

The state provides 11 emergency closure hours per school year, which translates to two days in the classroom. Some school districts have extra time built into their academic calendars for emergency closures.

“We’re in pretty good shape still,” said Shelley Allen, spokeswoman for Pocatello/Chubbuck School District 25. “We have instructional time to cover the days we have been off and we still have a little bit of flexibility in our calendar to accommodate closings or late starts.”

If school districts do go over their allotted time for snow days, students have to make up that time. Options include adding days to the end of the year, shortening breaks or adding additional minutes to the school day.

“I would rather have snow days that are built into the calendar and not go over that allotted amount,” said Albert Lewis, a freshman at Highland High School.

School districts say it’s a hard decision to cancel school because it puts a strain on parents and students. They only call for a snow day when road conditions are deteriorating and temperatures are unsafe.

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