VPS seeks waiver for four snow days

Vancouver Public Schools plans to ask the Superintendent of Public Instruction for an emergency instructional-day waiver in response to this month’s snowstorm.

Washington state requires 180 days of instruction and an average of 1,027 instructional hours. The eight snow days the district took in December and January forced the district to use all its built-in snow days. Additional days would drag the end of the year to June 27.

“Consideration for the waiver include potential hardships for families who have planned and purchased summer vacation travel, high school students who depend on summer employment and employees who enroll in continuing education programs,” the district said in a news release.

If approved, the waiver would only excuse students from the last four days, not the built-in snow days.

OSPI can approve instructional-day waivers, but schools must still comply with requirements for the number of instructional hours. Because the district has snow days built into its school year, district officials said it will be able to meet the required number of hours.

Gov. Jay Inslee declared a state of emergency in Clark County and other Washington counties hit hard by the storm, which closed area schools on Jan. 11, 12, 13 and 17 after ice and snow blanketed the region.

The Vancouver School Board will consider the waiver at its Feb. 14 meeting.

Washougal Public Schools has also announced plans to apply for a state waiver.