Missed Days Won't Be Forgiven, Schools Planning How To Make Up Snow Days

Gan Matthews, News 9

NORMAN, Oklahoma -- Now that the snowstorms have passed, Oklahoma school leaders are figuring out how to make up the days students spent out of class.

Public schools are required by law to have 175 days of classes, or the equivalent in hours. Norman, along with more than 500 other school districts in the state, must declare whether it will make up those snow days by adding extra school days or extra hours to existing school days.

A spokesperson for State Superintendent Janet Barresi said the state is not going to forgive the missed school days. Instead, it's up to individual school districts to make up the days.

Missed days are only forgiven when disaster strikes, such as the May 1999 tornado that destroyed a Moore school.

The February storms in Norman haven't been a disaster, but they have been an inconvenience.

"It's been really hard trying to find babysitters between work and after school has been closed. It's been really hard trying to find someone," mother Jessy Yaeggy said.

So far, 439 of Oklahoma's 527 school districts have opted for extra hours. That includes the Norman school district. Norman Superintendent Dr. Joe Siano said it's simpler to tack on extra hours to several school days. Norman will also convert a couple of days previously designated for professional development into classroom days.

Several parents told News 9 they like the hourly approach.

"I think it can be a good thing because it helps, you know, from carrying over into the rest of the summer," mom Tiffany Ford said.

If more snow days occur, Norman said it may add extra days in late May and early June.

Moore, Oklahoma City, Putnam City, and Yukon schools have not finished their plans on how to make up the snow days. Some school districts will not have to make up days because they have already been having longer school days than required.