Making up snow days: Is your school district still holding classes?
Jun 21, 2019, 12:27 PM
(Photo : NeONBRAND, Unsplash)
Sorry kids, and parents: School got out a bit late this year in Western Washington, thanks to the February snow storm that shut down the region. That means a lot of schools had to make up those snow days at the end of the year — right about now.
There are nine communities that are officially holding classes later than most any other Western Washington school districts, including: Edmonds; Issaquah; Kent; Mukilteo; Northshore; Puyallup; Seattle; Sumner; and Tumwater. While many districts are letting out this week, students in these districts have a few more days ahead of them.
Seattle and Issaquah share the award for the latest final day of class on June 27.
Making up snow days
Washington State Superintendent of Schools Chris Reykdal told KIRO Nights in February that Washington law requires that K-12 students get 1,027 hours of direct instruction and teaching time. Another section of the law requires students to be in school for 180 days. There is a little wiggle room on this point, however. Add up the average six hour school day across 180 days, and that’s 1,080 hours — more than required.
“We have the ability to grant waivers to school districts so that they don’t have to make up all of these days and still get their 1,000 teaching hours in, and that’s what each district is going to figure out,” Reykdal said.
Each district did eventually figure it out after the snow days. Most classes were pushed out to late June, with many school districts finally letting out this week. But a few districts, really went for it. Parents and kids are still watching the clock.
Auburn: June 24
Bellevue: June 21
Bellingham: June 20
Bremerton: June 18
Edmonds: June 26
Enumclaw: June 21
Everett: June 21
Federal Way: June 19
Ferndale: June 19
Issaquah: June 27
Kent: June 25
Lake Washington: June 20
Lake Stevens: June 21
Lakewood: June 14
Marysville: June 21
Monroe: June 21
Mukilteo: June 25
Northshore: June 24
Oak Harbor: June 20
Olympia: June 21
Puyallup: June 25
Redmond: June 14
Renton: June 21
Seattle: June 27
Shoreline: June 20
Snohomish: June 21
Snoqualmie: June 14
Sumner: June 25
Tacoma: June 19
Tahoma: June 20
Tumwater: June 24
Vashon: June 21