Clover Park Schools Adjusting End of First Semester In Wake of Snowstorm

The snow is gone, but officials in the Clover Park School District are continuing to plow through how to handle the loss of four academic days during last week’s winter storm.

District officials announced Thursday that in order to compensate for classes missed, the end of the first semester will now be Feb. 7.

Regarding the snow days, in addition to taking into account the district’s official calendar, it remains unseen whether there will be more snow to come. Right now, the district plans to make up one day in March and tack on the additional three days at the end of the school year, which is scheduled to conclude on June 20.

“But it depends on whether we get any more days,” said Kim Prentice, the district’s director of community relations. “We have had snow in February.”

Also factoring in is that Gov. Christine Gregoire declared a state of emergency during the snowstorm, which could mean that her office and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction could waive two or three of the missed days.

“It’s kind of complicated,” Prentice said. “They’re looking at individual counties.”

One of the four days will be made up on March 16, which was initially scheduled as a snow make-up day. The district also has June 21-29 penciled in as make-up days if needed, but the actual dates have yet to be announced. 

 “Plan to send your kids to school and plan to work that day,” Superintendent Debbie LeBeau said in announcing the March 16 make-up day during Monday’s school board meeting.

The end of the fall semester is now Feb. 7, five days later than originally scheduled. That way, students have adequate instructional time before final exams. High-school students will take End of Course math state tests on Feb. 9.  

“The day has been adjusted to allow for students’ finals, and then, that, of course, impacts when teachers are able to put in their grades,” Prentice said.

Elementary-school report cards will be sent home with students on Feb. 16 and middle- and high-school grades will be mailed home on Feb. 17.

Although the semester no longer will end on Feb. 2, the following day, Feb. 3, remains a no-school day in accordance with the district’s negotiated agreement with teachers.

“This calendar has been in place for a long time and obviously, people have made plans and you can’t easily adjust that,” Prentice said.

Washington schools are legally required to have 180 days of school and 1,000 hours of instruction. Four days were lost to CPSD schools during the snowstorm.

Last year, CPSD did not get out until June 27 because of a three-day snowstorm before Thanksgiving.

As it stands, Harrison Prep’s seniors will graduate June 15, and Lakes and Clover Park on June 18.

Prentice said that the school calendar is set according to the negotiated contract between the district and its teachers union. And in CPSD, it is tradition not to commence classes until after Labor Day.

The district will keep people updated on the situation as the spring semester commences. Families are asked to direct questions to their student’s school, and calendar changes are also posted on the district website and in school newsletters and district publications.