This week’s featured question was submitted for MAPS Superintendent Dr. John Sample
The question reads-
“After all this messy weather lately I suppose our kids are running short on weather days? If they’re not already gone, how many do they have left? How many are they given every year? If they’re all gone, how long will the school year be extended this year as of now? I’m also curious how the decision is made whether to have a 2 hour delay or call school off? Is there a certain temperature cut off where schools must close and so on? How does it work with snow storms? Thank you Dr. Sample for all you do for our children!”
Answer as given by Dr. Sample:
“Thank you for this question and your gratitude! With regards to inclement weather, my first priority is the safety of all students. Weather forecasts can be difficult in a district with an area of 570.68 square miles, the seventh largest in the state. While the Department of Public Instruction used to require a minimum number of instructional days for school districts, they now require a minimum number of instructional minutes. Those minutes also differ between elementary, middle school and high school programs. Our school calendars typically have two to three days built into any given year. Calendars are typically constructed two years at a time and recommended to the Board of Education for approval.
“As you know, Prairie River Middle School had one additional day of instruction off due to water pipe breakage and flooding. Since we are early in the winter season, I am only asking the Board to approve my recommendation of adding minutes to their instructional day through the end of the school year to have them parallel the status of the other buildings. As they are the transportation hub of the district, bus routes and times will not change as our students will already be present. Parents transporting their child(ren) to PRMS and those walking to school should leave five minutes earlier than they have in the past.
“The administrative leadership team is currently working on the DPI formula and calculating current minutes needed before presenting a make-up plan to the Board. While we have used Merrill School Improvement (MSI) days (staff professional development days) for student instruction in the past, the February 22 MSI day is already planned for Wisconsin Math Institute. The next and final MSI Day for the year is April 5 and is scheduled for the required Department of Justice Safety Grant Training for a half day and the other half for grading.
“At this point, it is safe to say that a portion of the week of June 10 will be used for instructional days. Just how much of that week will be used for school days depends on the weather in the coming months. It is important to note that no revisions of our Board approved calendar can be completed without Board approval. Two hour delayed starts and two hour early releases depend on a number of factors. The biggest safety concerns have to do with visibility, road conditions and temperature. The guidelines I use are as follows:
*If the National Weather Service issues a wind chill or cold temperature warning, school and school related events are cancelled.
*If the National Weather Service issues a snow or freezing rain advisory or warning, school officials with the assistance of local meteorologists, transportation services, state patrol, and/or the county highway department will make a determination as to whether or not road conditions or visibility pose a substantial risk for travel.
*Decisions to cancel school or conduct a late start regarding snow and freezing rain advisories and warnings will generally happen prior to 6:00 a.m. the day of school.
“We understand that this may be challenging for some families; however, storms are not as predictable as the temperature. Early releases will be decided by no later than 10:15 a.m. and the parent notification will occur shortly after the decision is made. Please remember that we are dealing with natural forces that are not always predictable. We will take every precaution to make the best decision we can with the information that is available to us. At times this may include keeping students at school instead of issuing an early release for the purpose of allowing road crews time to clear the road. It is important to note that much behind-the-scenes work takes place prior to making a decision disrupting the school day. I am typically on the phone with other superintendents, our contracted meteorologist, and other MAPS administrators residing in the far-reaching areas of the district.
“I drive the Irma area, where I reside, with Dale Bergman, our Director of Buildings and Grounds on speaker phone as he is driving near Hamburg, where he resides. All of this communication takes place very early in the morning as we have food service workers who arrive as early as 5:00 a.m. to begin preparing breakfast and maintenance/custodial crew who arrive as early as 1:00 a.m. to begin plowing parking lots and clearing sidewalks.
“I sincerely appreciate the patience and flexibility of our parents, students, staff, bus drivers, plow drivers and members of the community as we do everything in our power to keep our students safe. I know I am not alone in hoping for an early Spring and less hazardous weather!”
Do you have a question or concern you would like to address with a local official? If so, simply email your question or concern to [email protected]. Currently, ten city, county and state officials participate in the Ask an Official feature. Participating officials are as follows: Merrill City Administrator Dave Johnson, Merrill Common Council President Rob Norton, Merrill Fire Chief Josh Klug, Merrill Police Chief Corey Bennett, Merrill Area Public Schools Superintendent Dr. John Sample, Lincoln County Administrative Coordinator Jason Hake, Lincoln County Forestry, Land and Parks Director Kevin Kleinschmidt, Tomahawk Police Chief Al Elvins, Wisconsin DNR Conservation Warden Curt Butler and Wisconsin State Patrol Lieutenant Richard Reichenberger. Please Note: Those who choose to submit a question or concern will remain anonymous.