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Schools

Students Likely Won't Make Up Storm Days

The board approved a resolution that will leave scheduling flexible for teacher and staff makeup days.

County students might gain two extra off days this year, after the unanimously voted during their Monday work session to ask for a waiver to not force their youngsters to make up the days missed as a result of damaging storms last month.

Teachers and staff, however, will be expected to make up the days lost, as part of their 190-day contracts. But to help alleviate these makeups, the Board agreed to not create set dates for makeups.

“We want as much flexibility with regards to our staff in those makeup days as we can provide them,” said Bartow County Schools Superintendent John Harper “We believe our staff works hard and has worked hard all year long and people make plans based on our calendar. It's hard to predict the school year as we move through it.”

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Harper said he hopes this resolution would not hamper with summertime plans and vacations, but would allow staff to make up the days on a honor-based system and school principals would help figure out how to achieve what is best for their staff.

By making up the days, Bartow County can still honor the contracts for its teachers.

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“We need to provide as much support to our staff as we can,” said Harper.

The missed days resulted from that left several roads impassable, destroyed at least 48 homes, damaged nearly 400 others and caused days of power outages to nearly 5,000 in the county, including two schools.

Georgia allows four missed days due to weather. After that, school systems must request a waiver or make plans to make up those missed days. If a wavier is not granted by the state, those days will still have to be made up.

This isn't been the first talk of making up days for Bartow; budget concerns led to a shortened 177-day school calendar this year for the school system, and students also saw longer and added days during the winter months because of several snow and ice storms.

Other highlights from this month's works session meeting:

The board discussed approving transportation cameras and DVRs for school buses. Harper said this would bring the county up-to-date with technology and provide a better way to monitor the buses as the current VHS systems were out-dated and costly.

Bartow schools are also looking at a new third-party contract for its workers compensation. The board said it is currently unhappy with the most recent company and looking to change.

The BOE also looked at rebidding for the a new chain-linked fence at Cloverleaf Elementary, and has decided to go with the a local contractor for the new fence. Harper said the reason for this was to help local businesses.

The board looks to approve all of these other issues during their business meeting on May 16. Attached is a full agenda from this weeks meeting. 

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