MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Students of West Virginia’s public schools could be looking at an extended school year, if teachers and service personnel go on strike in response to pay and PEIA issues expressed before the state Legislature.
Monongalia County Schools Deputy Superintendent Donna Talerico said that would be particularly troublesome for Mon County students, who are already looking at several missed days of instruction due to winter weather conditions.
“This has been a difficult year for us, and we had been so fortunate in the last three to four years that we’ve had minimal inclement weather issues,” Talerico said. “Well this year we’ve already had three snow days, three Arctic Academy days, and to that end, we had to convert Monday, which is Feb. 19, into a day of instruction.”
Snow days in Monongalia County, however, have one advantage over any days that would be missed due to a work stoppage — Arctic Academy Days — though Talerico said that’s not ruled out as a possibility.
“I haven’t thought about that. These are going to be unchartered territories here for us,” she said. “I will not rule out anything at this point or say it will or won’t happen.”
Regardless of reason — weather or teacher strike — Talerico said the Board of Education’s primary role is to safeguard the instruction and keep the educational programs intact for students.
“Any days that would be missed based on any outage have to be made up. That is part of the guidance and direction from the state superintendent,” she said. “We cannot impair the educational program of our students, so we would indeed have to make them up.”
At this time, Monongalia County Schools has no definite plan, as the BOE is awaiting what comes of the legislative session.
“I know that our Superintendent and Board are committed to supporting our teachers and staff,” Talerico said. “We have an excellent school system, and we’re thankful to the community that has supported the school system for many, many years, and the leadership from our Board of Education that have put us in this enviable position here in the state of West Virginia.”