CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Even though numerous West Virginia schools remain open for winter-storm makeup days, some students already started summer vacation.
Paltry attendance was reportedly the norm in several counties this week, though school systems hadn’t released final figures.
“I knew there was going to be an absenteeism issue,” said Dale Lee, president of the West Virginia Education Association.
On Thursday’s edition of MetroNews “Talkline,” Lee said his daughter was among the teachers affected and had three students in her class during one of the final days.
“The kids were upset that she actually expected them to do work,” Lee said. “Well, if we’re instructing 180 days, we’re going to instruct 180 days.”
Senate Majority Whip Daniel Hall (R-Wyoming, 09) said low attendance was rampant throughout his district, which includes parts of Raleigh, Wyoming and McDowell counties.
Hall claimed attendance was 7 percent and 9 percent at two unnamed schools in his district Thursday, and another school with an enrollment exceeding 300 students had only 35 students in class Wednesday. Hall also related the tale of a bus driver running an empty route this week.
“I kind of thought it was going to be a problem, but had no idea to the degree that it is,” he said.
This year counties were mandated to fulfill 180 instructional days even if the school year had to be extended through June. By law, the school year cannot go beyond June 30.
“The 180 separate day requirement is not working,” Hall said. “I believe that’s what most people would support—quality time in the classroom. Well, they’re not getting it now.”
Hall, a former teacher, is an advocate for measuring instructional time by minutes, not by days.
Lee argued school time is not just about quantity. “Whatever we use, whether it’s days or minutes, we have to look at the quality of instruction during that time and, when we’re spending five to eight weeks testing, that’s taking away the instruction time, that’s taking away the quality instruction time,” he said.
According to information provided by the state Department of Education, Thursday was the last instructional day for students in Brooke, Lincoln and Roane counties. In Roane, officials were expecting to have final attendance numbers by Friday.
Monday will be the last day for students in Raleigh County.
“Their seniors graduated at the end of the May, so they were out now almost four weeks before the rest of the kids are out,” Lee noted.
Tuesday is the final day in Logan County where attendance numbers were not immediately available. Schools in both McDowell and Wyoming counties will be the last to close in West Virginia on Wednesday, June 24.
All of the county school systems still open were forced to make up double-digit missed days from the winter. Calhoun County, which had the most missed days to account for at 20, finished its school year June 17.
The first school systems to shut down this year—Braxton, Cabell and Wayne—did so back on May 29.
Once final attendance numbers are reported to the state Department of Education, Lee expects a review of the mandate.
“The 180 days is not a magic number. It’s not something that is important,” Lee argued. “Unless everyone buys in—community, parents, students, teachers—everyone buys in that instruction time is important, once that happens, then we will make advances.”
In parts of the West Virginia, the 2015-2016 school year will begin as early as Aug. 6.