BUCKHANNON — Students will make up one day out of the two-day teacher work stoppage this month.

Superintendent Dr. Sara Stankus said that March 15 which was originally scheduled to be an Out of School Environment day will now be a full day of school.

“We still have six days we can utilize for inclement weather and one of those is without any makeup and the other five will be snow packet days,” Stankus told board members at Tuesday’s Upshur County Board of Education meeting.

Although school was closed for two days due to the work stoppage, on one of those days the county also was under a winter weather advisory and will not need to make up that day.

The March 15 day is the next in line to use, according to Stankus.

“That was our first OS Day,” she said. “The rule is you have to take the first OS day and use as a make-up. We will use that March 15 and we will have students on that day.”

Also at Tuesday’s meeting, the board approved the 2019-2020 school calendar to submit to the West Virginia Department of Education for final approval. The first day on campus for pre-K, kindergarten, sixth and ninth graders will be Aug. 13. The remainder of the students will begin their school year Aug. 14 for the 2019-2020 school year.

Board vice president Katie Loudin asked about the early start date. A bill introduced in the Legislature would not have allowed school to start until after Labor Day. The bill passed the House education committee Wednesday but was moved off the calendar from reading in the House, effectively killing the bill for this legislative session.

Curriculum director Tim Derico, who had been involved with the calendar development process, said Tuesday he had heard only speculation as to what might happen.

“There are plusses and minuses,” he said. “Several years ago, we went to this calendar that started a little bit early. I can tell you beyond a shadow of the doubt that ending the semester at Christmastime is the beauty of the current calendar. By pushing that two weeks later, you push the semester two weeks later. You give kids two weeks off for Christmas break, you come back for two weeks and then you prepare for semester exams. I don’t think that is the best case scenario.”

For the last several years, Upshur has teamed up with Barbour and Lewis because they share Fred Eberele Technical Center, Gilmer County which shares an elementary school with Lewis and Calhoun County which shares a technical center with Gilmer County. The counties strive to have similar calendars.

Board member Kristi Wilkerson said a couple teachers had asked about a calendar committee.

Derico said he uses the staff development council as a calendar committee.

“Once we have a calendar that has been summarized, then that is usually shared,” he said. “We talk about start dates, PLC dates and ultimately, I can’t say enough that there are two calendar hearings we have. Anyone is welcome to come to those.”

Superintendents and calendar representatives from the other counties also meet.

“That is the for the benefit of the students,” he said. “Ultimately we don’t want the students at Fred Eberle to suffer.”

Wilkerson said, “Teachers would like the opportunity to meet together by their area so they can plan together without every single time it being highly structured.”

Stankus said, “That came up at the stakeholders meetings and also that they wanted to meet with their subject areas and the grades prior and after their grades.”

Under the calendar for 2019-20, the last day for students would be May 22.

Loudin moved to approve the calendar, which was seconded by Wilkerson and passed. Board member Alan Suder was absent.

Following an executive session with Stankus, the board returned to open session with a public statement regarding the annual superintendent’s evaluation: “Dr. Sara Stankus, superintendent, met and/or exceeded all standards for the current year. We have had a wonderful year with grant procurement and a successful levy campaign. We continue to work hard for the students of Upshur County.”

After the third executive session of the night, the board of education approved the expulsion two students for one school year for the violation of Upshur County Schools Policy 4011 and West Virginia State Policy 4373 Expected Behaviors in Safe and Supportive Schools. The second student will have a behavioral plan revisited.