Smithville R‑II discusses making up snow days, AMI survey and Senate Bill 727 constraints

Superintendent Doctor Moss told the board that multiple consecutive inclement‑weather days and extensive use of Alternate Method of Instruction (AMI) days have prompted the district to seek staff feedback on how to make up time while minimizing schedule changes for families.

Doctor Moss said the district used four of its five AMI days early in the semester and is meeting state hours requirements. “Please note, even with our AMI days and the days that we have scheduled, we are meeting our hours requirements,” Doctor Moss said. He described plans to send two staff surveys: one about options to make up additional inclement days this year and another about the 2025–26 calendar.

Board members discussed possible make‑up options that could count toward the minutes requirement: using the Friday before Memorial Day as a school day, converting a teacher work day to a half‑day of student attendance, or making half of a professional development day count as a student day. Doctor Moss said any change to the calendar “will take a vote by the board of education,” and that the administration planned to return with a recommendation in February after calendar‑committee review of survey results.

The superintendent also explained a state law affecting the district: Senate Bill 727 requires districts in charter counties (the superintendent named Clay and Jackson counties and noted other charter counties) to meet a 169‑day requirement. Doctor Moss said that requirement is unique compared with other districts in the state and that the district will monitor legislative activity in Jefferson City for any potential changes.

The board did not take formal action on calendar changes at the meeting; the superintendent solicited questions and outlined the planned survey and a February timeline for any recommendation to the board.