WV STUDENT ABSENTEEISM HIGH WITH 180 DAYS OF INSTRUCTION - Calhoun Had Most Make-Up Days In WV

(06/19/2015)
The WV Department of Education said Calhoun County had the most missed school days in 2014-15 at 20, mostly due to inclement weather.

For the first time, all county school systems had to make up missed days to accumulate 180 instructional days.

Calhoun Schools keep school in session for the past several days for half a day, with dismissal at noon, finishing the 2014-2015 school year Wednesday, June 17.

Calhoun students will return to school on August 13.

Dale Lee, president of the West Virginia Education Association, said student attendance was low during the extended days, saying his daughter, who is a teacher, had three students in her class during one of the final days in her county.

Lee indicated he was disturbed that many parents did not take the 180 instructional days seriously.

"The kids were upset that she actually expected them to do work," Lee said. "Well, if we're instructing 180 days, we're going to instruct 180 days."

Senate Majority Whip Daniel Hall (R-Wyoming, 09) said low attendance was reported throughout his district, saying attendance was 7 percent and 9 percent at two unnamed schools in his district.

Hall said at one school in southern WV with more than 300 students, 35 students were in class, in one case, a school bus ran its route while empty this week.

Lee said he's interested to see final attendance numbers once they're reported to the state Department of Education.

"The 180 days is not a magic number. It's not something that is important," Lee argued. "Unless everyone buys in — community, parents, students, teachers — everyone buys in that instruction time is important, once that happens, then we will make advances."

Some county systems will start school as early as Aug. 6.