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Ashland School District to convert furlough days to instructional time after five snow days
Summary
Following five weather‑related closures, Superintendent Patrick explained the district's makeup plan, which reassigns several furlough days to instructional days, describes HVAC and building issues caused by cold weather, and stresses safety as the top priority in closure decisions.
After five storm‑related school closures the week of Feb. 3–7, Ashland School District Superintendent Patrick told the school board on Feb. 13 that the district will convert several scheduled furlough days into instructional days to preserve instructional minutes and avoid extending the school year.
Patrick said the storm forced the district to shift plans because adding five days to the end of the year would have pushed the calendar past desirable limits. “Rather than adding those 5 days at the end of the year, the district would like to make good use of those furlough days,” he said.
He announced specific changes: previously announced furlough dates at the end of the school year will be converted back to instructional days on April 11 and April 14, and on March 5 and June 2. The district will designate Feb. 7 as a snow‑makeup day to be made up on April 21, and two remaining furlough days that were scheduled as teacher conference days in March will be preserved as furloughs. Superintendent Patrick said the plan is intended to “maximize instructional minutes.”
Patrick explained the operational challenges the storm created when schools reopened Monday, including HVAC failures and other building problems. He described freeze stats (temperature safety sensors) that tripped and required manual resets, digital control failures at Ashland High that temporarily disabled heating in parts of the campus, and a failed sump pump at Lincoln that blew an obsolete fuse. He praised maintenance and custodial staff for around‑the‑clock work to restore operations.
The superintendent stressed safety as the guiding factor in closure decisions: “When I’m making the final decision, I do not think about how people are gonna feel about it because safety’s first,” he said, describing region‑wide coordination with the National Weather Service and neighboring districts.
Why it matters: The decision alters family and staff calendars and keeps students on track for state‑required instructional minutes without extending the school year. Board members asked for clarity on conference scheduling and the district urged families to be mindful that canceled conference days reduce staff availability for meetings.
Patrick also noted that the district is monitoring roofs and other facilities for leaks and that contractors and neighboring districts helped clear parking lots and facilities so schools could reopen. He said parts of the district remain under repair and that some permanent HVAC fixes will arrive later in February or in subsequent weeks.
