Schools Can Apply For Waiver For Missed Days

Ritz informed school administrators in Indiana that they can apply for a waiver to avoid having to make up the last two snow days.
Ritz informed school administrators in Indiana that they can apply for a waiver to avoid having to make up the last two snow days.

Area schools have been closed for two consecutive days, but they could get an excused absence for both.

Indiana Public Instruction Superintendent Glenda Ritz announced that school corporations can apply for a waiver, meaning students would not have to make up the time they missed.

Ritz notified public school superintendents by email on Sunday that they could apply for the waiver.

In the email, Ritz said, “This currently applies only to the extremely cold conditions on January 6, 2014”

In a separate email issued on Monday, Ritz said, “Weather reports indicate that today’s extremely dangerous wind chills will be repeated during the day on Tuesday, January 7, 2014. Schools corporations that chose to close on January 7, 2014 may therefore apply for a waiver for that day through normal means.”

Franklin County Schools have currently used three of four snow days that are built into the school calendar. Franklin County Superintendent Dr. Debbie Howell indicated that the corporation applied for a waiver for Monday and plan to apply for Tuesday.

“We would still have one additional day built in if we would need it at a future date, so getting this waiver would be great,” she said.

Monday’s snow day for Batesville Community School Corporation is currently scheduled to be made up on March 17, the first day of a two-week spring break. Applying and receiving a waiver could help students and faculty  avoid attending school during the scheduled time off.