YAKIMA, Wash.- Winter storms have caused multiple school districts to cancel school this year already. The Yakima School District has called for two snow days so far with the Selah School District calling for one as well.
With a legal requirement to have students in school for a certain number of days, YSD says scheduled days off of school are subject to be switched to make-up days for weather closures. YSD’s two make-up days are set for February 20 and May 23, and parents and students should have seen those dates coming.
“It’s built into the calendar so they are aware of that,” says Kirsten Fitterer, Director of Communications for YSD. “They have had access to that academic calendar that has those dates built in since a year ago.”
Fitterer adds that YSD is already finalizing next school year’s calendar to have snow days ready for the 2024-25 year.
SSD Superintendent Kevin McKay doesn’t see snow days impact student education. He says that most students are able to adapt to any situation.
“Kids are really resilient,” says McKay. “Students of all ages, they adjust to whatever is going on.”
The superintendent says most students celebrate snow days as a chance to stay home or go out and play in the weather. He sees the issues lie in the parents who have to overcome a snow day.
“Probably the greater challenge is the challenge for parents who are working and have to navigate all of sudden, very early in the morning finding out there isn’t school,” says McKay.
He says parents and teachers have learned to adapt quickly, as its part of the experience living in Washington.
“They realize that at some point in time during the school year, especially where we live, we’re gonna have days where we have to cancel,” says McKay. “They’re, in a way, prepared for it and know that it’s going to be coming, they just don’t know exactly when.”
McKay adds that he is often in communication with other school districts to find out other plans and tries to line up snow days to avoid student frustration.
