Youngsters across Maine enjoyed a day off from school Monday because of snow, and those in Portland and South Portland had a second snow day thrown in on Tuesday.
But there will likely be a price to be paid come June.
Many schools districts in southern Maine have already used up their five allotted snow days, according to superintendents. That means additional snow days will require districts to add school days in June. If the snow days keep piling up, districts also could reschedule teacher in-service days so they can be used for classroom time.
Portland had already used its allotted snow days before canceling school Tuesday, meaning the city’s school year will be extended by one day in June – so far.
Portland superintendent Xavier Botana called off school for Tuesday because the storm that dropped 16 inches of snow on the city Sunday and Monday left sidewalks and roads unsafe. South Portland also canceled school Tuesday, deciding to use the district’s fifth snow day of the season.
Kunin said sidewalk conditions were still treacherous on many major streets Tuesday morning because the snow was so deep, high winds made cleanup difficult overnight and some private plow drivers had pushed snow into sidewalks.
“We have a lot of students who walk to school,” Kunin said Tuesday. “Public works couldn’t guarantee they’d have all sidewalks cleared by this morning. We couldn’t risk having a situation where students would be walking in the road.”
Kunin, like other superintendents, said he understands that it can be very disruptive to families when he calls a snow day. But his priority is the safety of students and staff members, who drive to work from communities throughout Greater Portland.
“We certainly hear from parents no matter which way we go,” he said.
While hoping to get three more days of school in before the start of February vacation next week, Kunin and other superintendents are sure to be watching forecasts for Wednesday, when southern Maine is expected to see another significant storm that could trigger cancellations.
Kunin said he typically confers with about a dozen superintendents in the region before calling a snow day. Lately, they communicate via group texting, which allows them to easily share information about impending storms and local weather and road conditions.
“It starts about 4:15 in the morning,” he said.
At this point, the last day of school in South Portland is June 21. “If we have another snow day, it gets added to the end of the year,” he said.
In Westbrook, school was held Tuesday as usual after the fourth of five allotted snow days was called Monday.
“It’s always about students’ safety,” said Superintedent Peter Lancia. “I’m in close communication with the public works and police departments to see what conditions are like for roads, sidewalks and bus stops.”
Lancia said he understands that it can be difficult for some parents to adjust busy family and work schedules to accommodate snow days. His three kids attend schools in Portland, which called snow days on Monday and Tuesday. “But student safety is always the priority,” he said.
If the district uses another snow day, the last day of school in Westbrook will be June 21 to fulfill the minimum 175 school days required by the Maine Department of Education.
“Beyond that, we’ll have to go one step at a time,” Lancia said. “But if we have to stay home, we have to stay home. I’m hoping with the storm that’s coming Wednesday, we won’t have to call a full snow day. I’m also hoping that March is sunny and snow free, although it is gorgeous out there.”
Schools in York County also were back in session Tuesday, though Biddeford had a two-hour delay. Most districts in York County also have now used up the five snow days built into the school calendar and, if there are more storm closures, will have to add extra school days in June.
Superintendents say they’re not thinking about how many snow days the district has used up when weighing decisions about whether or not to cancel.
“The bottom line is that we’re going to err on the side of caution,” said John Suttie, the superintendent for Old Orchard Beach. “If that means we have to go to school on a sunny day in June, so be it.”
On stormy mornings, the superintendents of Biddeford, Saco, Dayton and Old Orchard Beach begin texting each other around 4:15 a.m. after consulting with road crews. The superintendents try to make a decision together about whether to close school because students in all four towns attend the Biddeford Regional Center of Technology and share transportation services. But there are days, like Tuesday, where there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer for the region.
Students in Saco, Dayton and Old Orchard Beach were back in classes at the normal time on Tuesday, but Biddeford had different challenges and called a two-hour delay. Many students walk to school in Biddeford and crews needed a few extra hours to clear sidewalks and bus stops to make them safe for kids, said Superintendent Jeremy Ray.
“It’s different when you’re an urban school and so many kids walk,” said Ray, who consulted with superintendents in Westbrook and Sanford with similar urban environments and students walking to school.
Ray, who also is superintendent for Dayton, also talks to the superintendent of the Massabesic school district based in Waterboro about conditions inland. Being 10 or 15 miles inland can lead to very different conditions that call for different decisions about canceling school.
If schools in York County have to call for another snow day or two, students will have to make up that time in June. But if the snowy streak continues and forces many more cancellations, superintendents say they will have to start considering alternative ways to make up classroom time, such as rescheduling teacher development days to make them regular school days.
Ray remembers having makeup days on Saturdays while growing up in Washington County, but so far that’s not an option being considered in York County.
“We’re only at five snow days right now. I suspect when you get to six, seven or 10, people start to feel different about those options,” he said. “We have some storms coming this week and it’s only February.”
Ray said if the school year is extended too far into summer, he has to think about the safety of students and staff in classrooms that can reach 90 degrees without air conditioning. In Old Orchard Beach, students will likely have to go to school beyond the originally scheduled last day of June 23. But Suttie said he has to take into consideration that the town is a popular – and busy – summer tourist destination.
“So many of our students have multiple summer jobs. We have to consider that,” he said. “If we get into a situation where we were going too deep into the tourist season, it would hurt our businesses because they wouldn’t have workers and we’d have to consider something different.”