Schoolcraft schools in inclement weather will delay opening by three hours instead of two. Superintendent Nate Ledlow told the school board it could help prevent the district going over the allotted six snow days allowed by the state.
Michigan schools are required to have 180 days of class.
“The hope and the goal is to have this available if we’ve already used up our six days,” Ledlow said.
Ledlow said there were times last winter when conditions improved enough by 11 a.m. that they felt classes could have been held. He talked to some districts on the east side of the state that had already adopted a three-hour delay model and got lots of positive feedback on the idea.
“It’s basically taking a half day and just taking it in the afternoon,” Ledlow said.
Trustee Chris Blodgett asked if the district could choose between a two or three-hour delay depending on the circumstances. Ledlow said that’s not an option. It would be a move to a three-hour delay option entirely. The District would also continue to serve food for students on a three-hour delay.
Ledlow said they will communicate to parents about the change sometime in August so families can plan accordingly for winter.
In other news, Ledlow reported the District has filled most major staffing vacancies. There are only a few smaller roles and some coaching vacancies still left to fill. He credited Finance Director Taylor Mikel, Business Office Manager Megan Flinn and Assistant Superintendent Matt Webster for getting the processing done quickly.
“We are in a really, really good spot,” Ledlow said. “I’m not sure we have any big ones left.”
He highlighted new Transportation Director Chris Futrell, who had just started that day. Ledlow said he’s already bringing some new ideas about transportation systems and processes to the table.
