Ashe County Board asks state for two‑week weather waiver after averaging 11 missed school days a year
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Summary
The Board voted to request a two‑week calendar start waiver from the General Assembly, citing a decade‑long average of instructional days lost to winter weather and this year’s extended closures caused by storms and a hurricane.
The Ashe County Board of Education voted to request a two‑week weather waiver from the North Carolina General Assembly, saying the district’s historical weather patterns and recent storms have erased instructional time.
The resolution, presented by a Board member and discussed at length, notes that the district averaged 11 missed school days per year over the last decade (not counting the current school year) and reported 42 days without in‑person instruction as of Feb. 3, 2025 — 31 closures and 11 remote learning days. Board members said remote instruction does not substitute for in‑person time and argued a two‑week waiver would offer more scheduling flexibility and reduce instructional loss.
Board members debated calendar alternatives, including year‑round models and impacts on high‑school dual‑enrollment students. Staff said a two‑week waiver would allow the district to begin earlier in August and get more days in before the winter storm period. One Board member said the measure is not a funding request but a scheduling change to help districts with frequent inclement weather.
The motion to approve the weather‑waiver resolution passed by voice vote. The Board asked staff to file the request with legislators and watch for the General Assembly deadlines in early February.
Ending: The Board said it would monitor the legislature’s response and could adjust next year’s calendar if the waiver is granted.