State waives two school days after Hurricane Irma

Florida schools have been granted a two-day hurricane reprieve from the state education commissioner.

But schools in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties were canceled for seven days, leaving open the question of how many days still will need to be made up.

South Florida students returned to school on Monday after missing five days last week and two days in the previous week because of Hurricane Irma.

In Palm Beach County, Superintendent Robert Avossa assured parents he would not authorize Irma make-up days during the Thanksgiving or December breaks. The district said Wednesday there have been no changes to the school calendar so far as a result of Irma.

Broward and MiamiDade schools have not yet announced hurricane make-up days or whether they plan to apply for waivers that would allow them to bypass state laws mandating 180 days in the school year.

In order to get state funding, schools must be in session for 180 days in a year or the equivalent number of hours. That’s no fewer than 720 hours for kindergarten through grade 3 and 900 hours for grades 4 through 12.

“For the communities that were hit hardest by Hurricane Irma, it may not be feasible to make up all the hours of lost instruction,” Education Commissioner Pam Stewart said. “Given how critical instructional hours are to the success of each student, districts must make up as many of the lost instructional hours as possible.”

Stewart said if schools are unable to make up time lost beyond the two waived days, they must fill out a waiver application by Oct. 16.

The districts made up some but not all missed days after other hurricanes in recent decades. Local districts closed for two days for Hurricane Matthew last year and one-to-two days for Tropical Storm Isaac and Hurricane Sandy in 2012.

Students made up some of the time they missed for Hurricanes Wilma and Katrina in 2005 and Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne in 2004.

In 2005, the state said at least five of the 11 class days lost to Wilma and Katrina would be waived. Broward made up lost time by using teacher planning days and half days.

In 2004, Palm Beach County parents and teachers voted on which hurricane make-up day plan they preferred after Frances and Jeanne closed schools for 12 days. The state waived three days, so nine had to be made up. The overwhelming choice kept the two-week winter break intact and eliminated teacher work days and some single-day holidays.

lsolomon@sunsentinel.com