With the region awakening to very cold temperatures and icy conditions, today marked the first two-hour delay for Harrison County Schools for the 2014-15 school year. 

 

That situation has raised question among parents as to if instructional time missed for delays and early dismissals has to be made up.  

 

The short answer is possibly – if the total number of missed instructional minutes due to delays and early dismissals – after subtracted from minutes accumulated or “banked” throughout the school year – exceed minimum instructional minutes as required by state policy.

 

Here’s how it works:

 

The county “banks” 24 minutes per day. That calculation is based on the instructional day of Simpson Elementary, which has the lowest number of bank minutes daily – the shortest instructional day – in the county.

 

As of today, instructional day 65 for the school year, Harrison County Schools has banked 1,560 minutes. Early dismissals on Sept. 23 and Oct. 31 – totaling 240 minutes – and today’s two-hour delay – totaling another 120 minutes – have been subtracted from banked time, leaving the balance of banked minutes at 1,200. The equation will be ongoing throughout the school year, with both the 24 daily banked minutes and any other delays or early dismissal minutes being factored into that equation.

 

At the end of the school year, if the balance is depleted, the school calendar would be extended into June in order to meet the 180-day requirement.  

 

Updated July 1, West Virginia State Board Policy 2510 states that the school calendar shall provide, at minimum, 14 hours per week for Pre-K and an instructional day of 315 minutes for Kindergarten through fifth grade, 330 minutes for grades 6-8 and 345 minutes for grades 9-12.

 

Remaining in the school year are three additional early releases - scheduled for professional development, mentorship and teacher/team collaborations.

 

Editor's Note: The above story was written based on information supplied by the Harrison County Board of Education. Photos are file art.