House passes school calendar changes
By Phil Kabler
Staff writer
 

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A bill that makes modest changes in the state's school calendar law (HB4040) passed the House of Delegates Monday on a 92-1 vote.

The Manchin administration bill would remove provisions in current law that says the school year cannot begin before Aug. 26 or end after June 8. It also requires county school boards to develop plans to deal with snow and icy conditions and other emergencies, in hopes of assuring 180 instructional days each school year.

Unlike controversial school calendar bills proposed last year, the new legislation does not provide a way to extend teacher contracts beyond the current 200 days, or roughly 33 weeks a year. Nor does it include the Senate's "no pay for snow days" proposal from 2009, which drew fierce criticism from the state's teachers unions.

It also provides no penalties for counties that fail to meet the required 180 days.

"We're not opposing the governor's bill, but I don't believe it solves the problem of making up snow days," West Virginia Federation of Teachers President Judy Hale said of the current legislation.

Delegate Pat McGeehan, R-Hancock, was the lone opposition vote, but Delegate Woody Ireland, R-Ritchie, said the real issue is quality of instruction, not the number of classroom days.

"A good teacher will get the job done in 170 days," Ireland said. "A poor teacher will not get the job done with even 270 days."

At best, Hale said, the flexibility in setting the start and end dates for the school year may allow for an additional two or three possible makeup days each school year.

The bill goes to the Senate, where Education Chairman Robert Plymale, D-Wayne, said he does not anticipate major changes.

Also Monday, House Sergeant-at-Arms Oce Smith returned to the House chamber for the first time since March 2009, when he suffered an aortic dissection, an often-fatal tear in the wall of the main artery from the heart.

Using a walker, and having lost weight, Smith relished greetings from members of the House, including Speaker Rick Thompson, D-Wayne, who left the podium during Monday's floor session to speak with Smith.

Smith said he was thrilled to return to the Legislature after a nearly 10-month absence.

"It's been my home for so long," he said.

Smith said this was first time in nearly 50 years that he wasn't in the chamber for the State of the State address, which he watched on television from his home in Fairmont.

"It was sad, but they did a good job," he said of the House staff.

Smith said his wife, Carol, only recently told him that as he was being transported to the Cleveland Clinic for cardiac surgery, physicians advised her that he probably wouldn't be coming back.

"I'm glad she didn't tell me that at the time," he quipped.

Smith, 72, said he plans to increase his workload gradually, spending two or three days a week in the House for the next few weeks.

"Then, I'm back to stay," he said.

Reach Phil Kabler at 304-348-1220.