OSHKOSH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – The Oshkosh Area School District only planned for three snow days this year, but severe weather caused schools to close five times this winter, forcing students to make up some days.
Calendar changes approved by the Oshkosh School Board Wednesday are aimed at preventing that from happening again.
“I think maybe they should, like, start school a little bit earlier,” said Oshkosh North High School sophomore Levi Malewski.
For students like Malewski, an earlier start is just what they’ll be getting, but it will require Oshkosh schools to pencil out two days from its current 179-day calendar.
Oshkosh superintendent Vickie Cartwright tells FOX 11 how this will work.
“What we’re proposing tonight is a 177-day calendar, which puts us much more in alignment with all the districts within the Fox Valley region. In addition to that, in order to accomplish that, we are adding 11 minutes to the beginning of the high school day.”
The Oshkosh Area School District Board of Education’s now-approved new high school calendar takes effect next school year.
“I could really care less,” Oshkosh North HS sophomore Vibxais Lor said.
“I’m still going to be forced to go, so it doesn’t really affect me too much, but I don’t like waking up, and I don’t like staying for seven hours. To me, that just feels like too much!”
Other students say they don’t think making school days any longer serves any purpose.
“It’s going to be pretty pointless, because, like, what is an extra like maybe two or three minutes going of class going to do?” Malewski said. “Like, you’re not going to learn anything in that.”
By adding the 11 minutes to the high school days, three elementary schools would also have to adjust their morning drop-off times.
Students at Franklin, Lakeside and Oakwood Elementary Schools would be dropped off 10 minutes earlier, but Cartwright says their actual start time would remain the same.
“We chose to do that and the beginning of the day, rather than at the end, because we’re trying to minimize the impact that it could potentially have for families at the end of the day, related to athletic events, or extracurricular activities or those that have to work, as well.”
The extended class times give Oshkosh some wiggle room to cancel school before make-ups are needed.
FOX 11 was told all schools in the district will still exceed the state’s minimum requirement for instruction hours.
