Snow days, teacher strike push school into late June in South Sound

Classes are canceled in some South Sound school districts again Thursday as officials scramble to make up lost school days.

If anything else major happens, there’s a chance school may not get out until July.

The Tumwater School District already missed four days because of winter weather this month. Students said the fun has worn off.

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"I miss going back to school,” said junior Tyler Lince.

"It's always fun the first snow day, but it sucks now,” said junior Jakob Zimmerman.

State Superintendent Chris Reykdal said school districts can apply to waive school days missed during the state of emergency Washington’s currently in, but, with the teacher strike at the start of the year, some districts are in a tough spot.

"We had a dozen or so labor stoppages around the state and Tumwater certainly went the longest, so they're going to be scrambling to figure out how to get their minutes in without adding too many days to the end of the year,” said Reykdal.

Schools have flexibility when it comes to making up missed days, but must meet the state's minimum requirement.

"We get ourselves right to 1,027 hours. Kids are entitled to that, there's no flexibility on that,” Reykdal.

Tumwater students missed eight days during the teacher strike. They're making up three during breaks and adding five to the end of the school year.

If snow days aren't waived, that would tack on even more.

Tumwater Education Association President Tim Voie said the school may extend early release days to add hours.

“We could eliminate some of those, add on those hours, hopefully we could use that as a way to make up some of our lost days," he said. "Right now we're looking at making up four days, which would make our last day June 27, which is a Thursday."

Tumwater's graduation was already pushed back once.

Cox Media Group