Ohio schools are now required to meet a minimum number of instructional hours, according to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. Previously, schools were required to have attendance in a number of instructional days.
The state department of education recommends local schools schedule “excess” hours above the minimum number of required hours to accommodate weather-related situations that delay or cancel school, according to ODEW.
If a school closes enough that it will fall below the minimum number of hours, the school must make up the hours by extending its scheduled year, according to the state.
Local schools told the Dayton Daily News they schedule extra days in their school calendar to ensure a buffer for instructional hours.
ODEW says school districts, joint vocational school districts and chartered nonpublic schools must be open for instruction for a minimum of:
- 455 hours for students in half-day kindergarten
- 910 hours for students in full-day kindergarten through grade 6; and
- 1,001 hours for students in grades 7-12.
- 910 hours for students enrolled in traditional school district online schools.
Chartered community schools, such as Dayton Early College Academy (DECA) must be open for instruction at least 920 hours per year, according to ODEW.
Schools can make up the equivalent of three days using online instruction, according to ODEW.
“Schools or districts may implement an approved plan to deliver instruction online, allowing them to make up the equivalent of up to three missed school days under permitted circumstance,” ODEW officials said on their website.
ODEW spokeswoman Lacey Snoke said some Ohio districts have asked the state about the policies for making up school hours, but there is not a list available of districts who need to make up hours.
“Districts and schools submit their calendar data through the Department’s Education Management Information System,” she said. “There are several data collection windows throughout the year, with additional opportunities for data review.”
Districts that plan a shorter school year are closer to state minimums. Mad River Local Schools, which begins after Labor Day and ends just before Memorial Day, can only have one more calamity day before the district would need to begin online instruction, said Chad Wyen, the district’s superintendent.
Dayton Public Schools has called off more frequently this year compared to other districts, but is it not close to the state minimum.
The district said on its Facebook page that the district could schedule 10 more days off after Tuesday before needing to make up instruction. The district was closed Monday and Tuesday. A spokeswoman said the district used five calamity days already.
Dayton Public Schools will be monitoring and determining closures on a day-by-day basis, a spokesperson said.
DPS has more than 12,800 students, according to ODEW data, and is one of the largest districts in the region.
Centerville Schools is also not close to the state minimum, said spokeswoman Katie Kenney. The district planned hours significantly above the state minimum.
“We continually monitor our instructional hours to ensure we remain in compliance with state guidelines and are in a strong position to meet all requirements without extending the school year,” Kenney said.
Beavercreek City Schools has missed four school days this year, said spokeswoman Beth Sizemore. If there are more than seven calamity days in a given school year, students and staff will engage in remote learning days beginning on the eighth day, she said.
“We certainly value having students in school so our teachers can work with them directly, but the safety of our students and staff, not potential test scores, will always be our priority in making decisions,” Sizemore said.
Springfield City Schools built in multiple calamity days to the calendar and still has several to go before district leaders would need to extend the year, said Springfield spokeswoman Jenna Leinasars.
Leinasars said one takeaway from the pandemic for the district was online instruction is not as effective as in-person. In Springfield, many students don’t have reliable internet access at home, and the district doesn’t send devices home with students, she said.
“While Ohio weather can be unpredictable, District leaders plan accordingly each year to minimize its impact on student learning and ensure state requirements are met without compromising educational quality,” she said.
