By Kristine Thomas
If Mother Nature decides to cooperate and quit having cold flashes that bring below freezing temperatures, snow and ice, the last day of school for the students in the Silver Falls School District still will be June 14. For students in the Mount Angel School District it looks like it will be June 15.
With four days of school closures due to winter weather, both districts have made plans for how to compensate for lost school days.
The school board of each district needs to approve any change to its school calendar. As of Jan. 9, the SFSD board has approved changes. The MASD board will review options on making up lost school days at its Feb. 13 meeting.
Here’s an update on school calendars as of Jan. 11:
Silver Falls School District
The Silver Falls School Board voted 5-0 on Jan. 9 to approve a plan to make-up for school days lost to inclement weather. Board members Todd White and Ervin Stadeli were absent from the meeting.
As of Jan. 11 when Our Town went to press, district schools had been closed on Dec. 8, Dec. 15, Dec. 16 and Jan. 11. The board agreed to convert six designated Professional Learning Communities or PLC dates from half to full days of instruction. Instead of the students leaving school two hours early, they will attend a full-day on Jan. 30, Feb. 13, Feb. 27, April 3, April 24 and May 22. This plan results in 12 hours of instructional time or about two days added back.
For licensed staff members, June 15 remains a grading and end-of-year task day while it becomes a professional development day for classified staff members. On June 16, licensed staff members will have a professional development day.
If the district needs to close schools again due to weather, March 13 will be changed from a Parent/Teacher Conference Day to a regular school day and April 28 will be changed from an in-service day/grade preparation day to a regular school day.
Any additional make-up days will require the board’s approval. Visit the Silver Falls School District’s website at www.silverfallsschools.org for school closures and make-up day information.
Mount Angel School District
Mount Angel School District Superintendent Troy Stoops said the school board discussed options at its Jan. 9 meeting but chose to table the discussion until the February meeting because only three of the five board members were present. Two members were out ill.
Stoops said students in the Mount Angel School District have missed the same days as students in the Silver Falls School District. “Although no decisions were made, the board does not sound concerned with making up any of the three days already missed,” Stoops said. “However, they want to consider making up any additional days missed due to inclement weather.”
Stoops said some of the options include converting a March 23 Parent Conference Day into a student contact day and having staff make-up a day for professional development. Visit the Mount Angel School District’s website at www.masd91.org for updates on school closures and make-up days.
In other school news, the asking price has changed from $1.45 to $1.1 million for the Eugene Field School campus. Built in 1921, the real estate listing states, “subject to zoning approvals this property could serve as office space, retail, food and entertainment, education and much more. Closed last summer, the school at 410 N. Water St., is 3.46 acres and includes the 35,000 sq. ft. building and three tax lots on A Street.” Sperry Van Ness Commercial Advisors of Salem is the listing agent.
