JANESVILLE — The issue of weather makeup days in the Janesville School District could be decided one week from today.
The decision is important because families who have planned travel or other activities would have to change their plans if the schools cancel upcoming days off.
Teachers will vote this week on options to make up two days off that snow or cold forced on the district this school year.
The vote of the teachers union membership will be advisory, said Jim Reif, chief union negotiator. Teachers union representatives will take the deciding vote Monday, as required by the union's constitution.
Then the Janesville School Board could approve or reject the teachers' decision when the board meets Tuesday night.
Union officials met Monday night to discuss their options.
The union and the board must agree on the makeup dates because the teachers' work days are set by contract. Any change in the contract needs approval of both sides.
Students must make up three days so far this year. The board and union already have agreed to make up one of those Friday, Jan. 23. That date was originally scheduled as a day off for students but an end-of-semester work day for teachers.
The school board also has approved Monday, April 13, as a makeup day, but the union has not yet agreed, so that date will be on the teachers' ballot, Reif said.
April 13 was originally scheduled as the last day of spring break.
Other options on the teachers' ballot will be to add a day to the end of the school year or to alter the parent-teacher conference schedule in February, Reif said.
As the calendar now stands, students' last day of school is Thursday, June 11.
The administration prefers rearranging the conference schedule and to consider adding days to the end of the school year if the weather forces more days off this winter, said Steve Salerno, director of administrative and human services.
Reif said union officials and district administration have had numerous contacts recently to discuss the options.
Middle and high school students are now scheduled for days off Thursday and Friday, Feb. 19 and 20. Elementary students are off a week later, Feb. 26 and 27. Teachers are scheduled to be at school for conferences those weeks from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesdays and 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on those Thursdays.
The solution might be to hold school on Thursday and do conferences from 4-7 p.m. Wednesday, 4-7 p.m. Thursday and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Friday, Salerno said. Another option is to hold conferences from 4-7 p.m. Thursday and 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday.