Friday, April 07, 2000
Schools to make up threat days
BY WALT SCHAEFER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
UNION TOWNSHIP — June 9 will be a testing day for many students in the West Clermont School District.
On what was originally scheduled to be the first day of summer vacation, students at four schools will be in class taking tests while making up class time lost to bomb threats during the school year.
They are not alone:
• Students at Live Oaks Career Development Campus in Miami Township in Clermont County have two more days tacked on to the end of their school year: June 2 and 5.
• Bomb threats causing lost hours at Colerain High and Middle schools were made up March 31 when classes were held on a previously scheduled in-service day for teachers and staff.
West Clermont Superintendent Michael Ward said June 9 will now be one of three final exam days.
Scheduling the make-up day for exams “certainly seems to be a motivational undertaking to seriously make up an instructional day. They certainly will be making good use of that time,” Mr. Ward said. The plan was approved by the West Clermont Board of Education this month.
Students at Amelia High and Middle schools will make up 51/2 hours June 9 for bomb threats received Dec. 7, 9, 10 and 15. Students at Glen Este High and Middle schools will make up 31/2 hours that day for threats received Nov. 11 and Dec. 1.
While the Ohio State Board of Education supports the decisions of local schools to evacuate buildings and call off classes for safety reasons stemming from bomb threats, the state does not want to encourage such threats by recognizing them as “calamity days” and providing a method for students to get a day off school, spokeswoman LeeAnne Rogers said.
“We don't want students to think they can just call in bomb threats for ... days and get off school” without having to make up the time, Ms. Rogers said.
STATE RULES
The state of Ohio requires schools to be in class a minimum of 182 days each school year and allows for five “calamity days” when school can be canceled because of weather or other uncontrollable emergency, said LeeAnne Rogers, spokeswoman for the Ohio State Board of Education.
Among those 182 days, a district may schedule two days without classes for parent-teacher conferences and two days for professional training — often termed “in-service” days for teachers and staff, Ms. Rogers said. However, she said, regulations do not recognize bomb threats as a valid reason for using a “calamity day” and require that lost hours because of bomb threats be made up.
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