FORCED CLOSURES OF SCHOOLS POSE PROBLEMS IN REVISING CALENDARS

With the closure of school on Wednesday, Jackson public school students had missed eight days this school year due to the weather.

In Cape Girardeau, public schools had been closed four days.

But for both districts, the prospect of another day or more of canceled classes means problems in the school calendar.

Howard Alexander, business manager with Jackson schools, said that during January, students were off four days and then missed another three days in February.

Fred Jones, assistant superintendent at Jackson, explained that a plan is in place to make up the eight days missed.

If school is canceled again today, things get more complicated.

"At the present time, we intend to go to school on the Tuesday after Memorial Day," said Jones.

Beyond that, he said, a lot depends on the weather.

"We're thinking that the last day of school would be on the 31st, but we still might miss another day or so," Jones said.

Jones said the board of education will likely make a decision on when to make up the missed days quickly because planning is under way for commencement and other end-of-school activities.

"Our high school principal wanted us to make a decision last night," Jones said Wednesday morning.

The baccaulareate is set for May 22 at 7:30 p.m. in the high school gymnasium at the request of the Jackson Ministerial Alliance.

Anticipating some bad weather, Jackson officials "built in" four snow days to the school calendar. After that, a series of contingencies are in place. Jones said the contingencies are used up.

"We just have to evaluate what to do when we get the exact number of days missed," Jones said.

Last year, 1992-93, students missed seven days due to bad weather.

"The year before, 1991-92, we only missed an hour due to heat and one day due to the bus incident," added Jones, referring to vandalism that immobilized the school's bus fleet.

In 1990-91, students missed eight days, but two were canceled because of the predicted earthquake.

The record number of days missed since 1957, when records were first available, was in 1978-79, the year of the blizzard. Jackson students missed 18 days of school that year.

"We had missed a lot of days already when the blizzard hit," Alexander said. "And then we missed a lot more."

James Englehart, director of secondary education for Cape Girardeau public schools, said June 8, 9 and 10 were included in the school calendar as snow make-up days.

"Historically the district has forgiven the first snow day," Englehart said. "That's where we are so far."

If classes are canceled Thursday, Englehart said, things get a little more complicated.

"Our school district schedules 179 days with students," he explained. "The state required 174 days minimum and North Central Accreditation requires 175. That allows us some leeway. The district has been rather reluctant to go less than 178 days, but we have a very late dismissal time this year at June 10."