Currently, districts are required to have 180 days of school, but can subtract up to five days due to inclement weather. The bill would remove the inclement-weather exemption. West said teachers already make special accommodations for snow days and other reasons students are not in school.
Teachers make sure students learn, no matter what interferes.
He noted teachers put in a great deal of extra time and effort for students who miss class time, whether because of snow days or other reasons. In written remarks, West called the bill discriminatory and dangerous. Northern school districts would be unfairly punished where bad weather lasts well into spring and snow days are more numerous, but schools are still responsible for the same number of class days as southern districts. The issue is education for children.