PHILIPPI, W.Va. — A West Virginia school superintendent forced to cancel classes 22 times this year because of weather said he’s unsure next year’s school calendar changes will improve instruction.
Barbour County Superintendent Joe Super said all the cancellation days created by ice and snow this year have been no-doubters.
“There has been no question and actually there have been a couple of days we’ve been in session that probably we should have been shut down,” Super said.
Barbour County currently has eight days built into its school calendar and plans to use them later this year. Super hopes the county can come with 14 of the required 180 instructional days.
Next year, a new state law extends dates and allows school systems to make up have classes until June 30. Super said Monday he’s not sure how beneficial that will be simply because after the Westest—the state’s standardized test—it typically becomes more difficult to get students to concentrate.
The Westest falls during the last week of April this year in Barbour County.
“After the Westest what good is it?” Super asked of makeup days. “I know we have great professionals that will do the best they possibly can with our students, working with them, but it’s still a tough task.
“The good weather comes in, your spring sports start to come into play–kids’ minds are elsewhere.”
Barbour County principals have had to adjust plans this winter on how their staffs will prepare students for the Westest.