State Rep. Mike Kelley (R-Lamar) is proposing to let Missouri school districts to create plans for students to do schoolwork from home for up to 10 days when school is cancelled during bad weather. A Missouri House committee is considering his plan that aims to avoid make-up days at the end of a school year.
Representative Mike Kelley (R-Lamar) Photo courtesy, Tim Bommel, Missouri House Communications.
“Inclement weather is very disruptive to the educational process,” says Kelley. “During harsh winters, especially, with normal school routine disrupted over and over while they’re trying to educate students, this is a way to help make sure that they can continue to educate students.”
The plans could include online work or another form of activity. The proposal could also work for students when they are ill and can’t attend school. On the days districts use the plans, the state could give them credit for being in session.
Kelley says the concept could help districts with problems making up excessive missed days at the end of a school year.
“In many cases if you’re bringing them at the end of the school year, you’ve got families that have already made trips and they’re just not going to show up, you’ve got seniors who have already graduated and they’re not going to come in, so you truly are losing educational opportunity as well just students in general because you’re trying to tack things on at the end of the year,” says Kelley.
The bill would require the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to develop rules regarding such instructional plans.