Vancouver Public Schools inclement weather waiver granted

Vancouver Public Schools students will not have to make up four of the eight snow and inclement weather closures the district took this school year after the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction granted the district’s request for a waiver.

School will end for Vancouver Public Schools students on June 21, the district announced Monday. School will end two hours early that day and June 20. Staff affected by the snow days, however, will not be affected by the waiver and will have to make up the school days, “consistent with employee contract language,” the district said in a news release.

Union leaders were not available for comment Monday. District spokeswoman Pat Nuzzo said the district has contacted union leaders alerting them of the schedule change.

“My understanding is they’re discussing that with their members,” she said.

Spring break, regular one-hour early releases and graduation dates will not be affected. High schools will provide activities for seniors to participate in after June 9, seniors’ originally scheduled last day, according to the release. Individual schools will provide more information about those activities.

Washington state requires 180 days of instruction each year, and an average of 1,027 instructional hours. But in severe cases, like this winter’s snow storm that prompted Gov. Jay Inslee to declare a state of emergency, the state will waive additional days as long as districts have the right number of hours and can prove they’ve made an effort to make up snow days.

Vancouver schools closed Dec. 8, 9, 15 and 16, and Jan. 11, 12, 13 and 17 due to snow and forecasted winter weather. Making up all eight of those days used up all four makeup days built into the school calendar and would have drawn the year out until the last week of June.

Other districts around Clark County, including Evergreen and Battle Ground, also applied for waivers in light of this winter’s historic winter snow storm.