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By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief
West Shore School News is a presentation of West Shore Educational Service District in partnership with Mason County Press.
Mason County secondary and elementary schools are closed again today due to the weather. Higher winds that began Sunday afternoon caused snow to drift on many north-south county roads.
Last week, weather shut down the schools Monday through Thursday (Ludington Area School District had a pre-arranged day off on Monday, Jan. 20 in observance of Martin Luther King Day and a staff personal development day).
For LASD, today is the district’s seventh snow day. The other schools are on their eighth snow day. Public schools in Michigan are allowed six snow days and then can seek a waiver from the state superintendent for up to three additional days. Otherwise, the school year has to be extended beyond the scheduled last day of school in early June.
Mason County Central Superintendent Jeff Mount said MCC plans to apply for a waiver for days seven and eight, and a ninth day if necessary.
“Beyond that, we will have to make the rest up,” Mount said. “That has yet to be determined.”
Dr. Kyle Corlett, superintendent of LASD, said if the school district goes over nine snow days it will then switch to online instruction on those additional days.
Mount said it is possible the state will automatically waive some of the days off from last week.
“The last time we had a statewide ‘polar vortex’ like last week, the governor stepped in and forgave some additional days,” Mount said. Several schools across the state were shut down last week due to frigid cold temperatures earlier in the week and large snow falls later in the week.
Determining a snow day is a coordinated effort among the three Mason County public school districts. Days like today are determined about 4:30 a.m. Mount, who lives in Victory Township, will drive the roads in that area and access their conditions. Mason County Eastern Superintendent Paul Shoup lives in Custer Township and will access the eastern county roads. A representative from LASD will then typically access roads in the southwestern portion of the county. Additional communication also takes place with Mason County Sheriff’s Office deputies. The three superintendents then will communicate with each other and determine if their respective school districts will close.
Gateway to Success Academy, located in Scottville, and Ludington Area Catholic School have a policies to close for weather when LASD closes for weather. Covenant Christian School in Amber Township will close when MCC closes. Additionally, the Scottville Area Senior Center is closed when MCC is closed.
“Let’s hope that Mother Nature is more gentle on us in the next eight weeks,” Mount said.
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