Snow Day Discussions

Some of the most difficult decisions faced by school division administrators each year are related to school closings and delays related to inclement weather. This year has seen an inordinate amount of snowfall in the Commonwealth and school divisions are scrambling to ensure students receive the required amount of instruction. Decisions are made based on road conditions as well as the conditions around our schools. While localities concentrate on clearing roadways, our staff works to remove snow/ice from sidewalks and parking lots. So…what are the requirements you might ask?

The Commonwealth of Virginia requires that students attend school for 180 days or 990 instructional hours. Each year, RCPS builds a calendar that meets both requirements. In order to meet the minimum number of instructional hours, students need to attend school 5.5 hours per day. Our schools actually exceed the minimum number of hours by twenty minutes per day. Over the course of the year, our decision to exceed the minimum number of instructional hours on a daily basis allows us to bank nearly 10 days. These bank days are used when we miss school or have delayed openings due to inclement weather. As a result, we often do not go to school for 180 days, but we do meet the requirement of 990 instructional hours.

As of February 15, we have exceeded the number of bank days in our calendar. Therefore, we will be required to make up missed days in the future. April 1, which was scheduled as a teacher workday, will now be a regular school day for students. Additional days, if missed, will also be taken from the scheduled Spring Break.