- St. Johns schools have used 5 of their 6 snow days, with one day left to use before risking extending the school year.
- Superintendent Berthiaume stresses the importance of safety when deciding to cancel school.
- Watch the video above to find out more about school cancellations and snow days.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
For most of our neighbors, canceling school for a snow day is something to cheer for, but adding those days back on at the end of the year may not bring the same joy. I'm your St. Johns Neighborhood Reporter, Russell Shellberg, here at the school district, talking to officials about the calendar and what those snow days could mean for the end of the year.
"No matter what decision you make, you try to err on the side of precaution," said Berthiaume.
With snow piling up in Mid-Michigan, many schools have been calling snow days. But the flip side is... too many snow days could lead to some headaches down the road.
"My hope is, fingers crossed, we have one more day to use, and that's the day we use, and we've done the 6 that we've allotted," said Berthiaume.
Each district is given a set number of snow days. St. Johns has already used 5 of their 6 allotted days. Superintendent Berthiaume says they need to be cautious as they near the finish line.
"People plan, just like they do with Christmas or spring break. They look at planning their vacations right when school ends. So that could potentially impact, and that's what you weigh that decision on," said Berthiaume.
If they exceed their snow days, the district would need a special waiver from the state.
"If you go over your 6 days, you can then apply for this waiver through the state, excusing those additional days that you've used," said Berthiaume.
While Berthiaume is aware of how snow days and extending the school year can impact everyone's schedules, he made one thing abundantly clear when it comes to the safety of students and staff.
"Any day of the week, I will choose to close school over some type of tragedy happening," said Berthiaume.
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