NC Schools should take page from MI for schedule

Snow days are quite new to my family. Having lived in Michigan all our lives, we are quite accustomed to snow. However, when the wife and I were in school hell had to actually freeze over before the school was closed because of snow (I can only remember our school closing twice the ENTIRE time we were there).

Even during the time that my daughters were enrolled in school in Michigan, it was rare that school was actually closed due to the weather (MAYBE two-to-three times a year). Even when the school might have been closed, there was never a make up date scheduled, and Saturday school was never an option!

So far this year my children have missed 11 days because of inclement weather. Because of the weather the schools have scheduled make up days over spring break, Memorial Day, and a couple Saturdays, to name a few, so that they can meet the 180 day requirement.

I think it’s time for the Governing Body of North Carolina Schools to take a page from Michigan and their requirement for school. Michigan goes on an hourly requirement of 1,098 hours¹ of instruction. Whereas North Carolina requires 180 days² AND 1,000 hours, in order to be consistent with 29 other states.

Here’s a quick comparison between a school district in Michigan and one here in North Carolina:

Orchard View High School starts at 7:40 am and dismisses at 2:30 pm on a regular, full school day. A.C. Reynolds High School starts at 7:50 am and dismisses at 3:00 pm on a regular, full school day. A difference of only 20 minutes, which isn’t too bad.

The school year in North Carolina begins August 25th, unless a school can qualify for a waiver³ to begin two weeks earlier, and the school year in Michigan begins the Tuesday after Labor Day. This is a difference of almost two weeks, four depending on waiver qualification, between the two states required start date.

In North Carolina the school year ends June 10th, whereas, this year, the school year in Michigan ends June 4th. This is a difference of almost a week.

Just going on the basic start date of August 25th for North Carolina, student are in school almost three weeks longer, WITHOUT having to make up missed days, than the students in Michigan, to begin with. And, right now, some school districts are already planning on going beyond the June 10th date to make up missed days.

Here’s my point to all this; instead of the schools complaining, or trying to get the State of North Carolina to allow them the flexibility of controlling their own school schedule, maybe they should just fight to eliminate the 180 day requirement. If they were to adopt the same 1,098 hours of instruction requirement that is in place in Michigan, they could start the school year a little later and not have to worry about finding ways to make up days missed due to inclement weather. They would have the flexibility over their school calendar that they want. Students and teachers would keep the scheduled days off during the year, instead of them being used to make up days. And tourism and family vacations would not be affected.

I understand that folks from the South don’t like to take advice, on anything, from folks in the North. But, honestly, I think those folks up there know how to handle inclement weather a little bit better.

¹Found under the heading “Pupil Hours of Instruction”

²Found in Chapter 5, under the heading “Opening & Closing Dates”

³Found in Chapter 5, under the heading “Waiver Requests”

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