Wood County Schools Calendar

Wood County BOE tables proposed calendar changes

Parkersburg South High School teacher Jaime Kupfner was among educators to speak at Tuesday’s Wood County Board of Education meeting opposing a plan to shorten the current school year by making three unused snow days into instructional days. (Photo by Michael Erb)

PARKERSBURG — The Wood County Board of Education has delayed a vote on changing three unused snow days into instructional days to end the school year early.

The board Tuesday voted to table the motion until its March 24 meeting. Superintendent Will Hosaflook had recommended making three out-of-school (OS) days — April 20, April 27 and May 4 — into instructional days. The change would move the last day of instruction for students from June 3 to May 29.

The proposal however received pushback from teachers Tuesday, who argued the administration was making a dramatic change to the approved calendar without sufficient input from stakeholders and employees.

Bruce Boston, president of the Wood County Education Association, said teachers are concerned the change could cause issues with planned field trips as well as cause personal hardship for employees who scheduled appointments or travel for the OS days.

“To have these days moved could cause an increased need in substitute teachers,” he said. “The proposed changes are significant. We feel before the board votes on this we should have at least two public hearings on those changes.”

Parkersburg South High School teacher Abbie Burge told the Wood County Board of Education Tuesday she opposes shortening the school year by making three unused snow days into instructional days. (Photo by Michael Erb)

Parkersburg South High School teacher Jaime Kupfner, who served both last year and this year on the district’s calendar committee, said the changes undo the work of the committee and do not reflect what was approved last year.

“I do not see how this benefits the students by changing the OS days,” she said.

South teacher Abbie Burge agreed.

“I would like to ask, once we do establish a calendar … it is the most beneficial if we can keep it the same,” she said.

Hosaflook said the change was proposed to give students more instructional time prior to the General Summative Assessment, which is the state exam taken by all students in grades 3-8. Hosaflook said in a phone poll the majority of parents favored the change, and those teachers who were contacted were split almost evenly on the issue.

“Three days is roughly 1,000 instructional minutes,” he said. “If we do not move (the OS days), we would lose roughly 1,000 instructional minutes. That’s my thinking. I want those students to be put in the best possible situation for the GSA.”

Hosaflook also said he saw no reason the change would impact any field trips, which normally would be conducted on an instructional day.

Burge argued the poll did not reach a sufficient number of employees and failed to explain all of the consequences of the move to parents.

“When we poll people, we are duty bound to tell people the pros and the cons,” she said.

Hosaflook said the survey “is a valid representative sample. It is a good representation.”

Board members said they would take up the issue again at the board’s March 24 meeting.

Hosaflook warned those snow days could already be used if school systems choose to close due to concerns over the spreading coronavirus. Superintendents throughout West Virginia are meeting today in Charleston to discuss a possible statewide response to the virus. Other states have closed businesses, canceled gatherings, and closed schools and colleges to help slow the spread of the virus.

“Everything we’re discussing right now could be moot,” he said.

The board Tuesday also took no action with a hearing for the 2020-21 school calendar. Hosaflook said officials were hesitant to make a recommendation during the West Virginia legislative session as several school calendar bills were being considered. Those bills did not pass this legislative session, so Hosaflook said officials would again survey the community to see which calendar people would prefer.

Michael Erb can be reached at [email protected].

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