School makeup day forgiveness bill to go before Senate

A public hearing for HB 678, proposed by Rep. B. J. Marsh, R-Springfield, which would forgive school days missed during the January ice storm, will be held Gary Nodler's Education Committee during a 1:30 p.m. Wednesday session.
The bill passed the House March 5 by a 144 to 6 margin. All Joplin area reprsentatives voted for the measure, except for Rep. Ed Emery, R-Lamar, who was absent.
The bill, according to its description would:

This substitute allows school districts in the counties declared
a federal disaster area after the January 2007 ice storms to not
make up time lost from school from January 15 to January 22.
School districts in counties not included in the federal disaster
area that have missed eight or more days due to inclement weather
during the 2006-2007 school year are not required to make up six
of those days, and the requirement for scheduling two-thirds of
the missed days into next year's school calendar is waived for
the 2007-2008 school year. These provisions do not apply to the
Nixa R-II School District.

The bill's co-sponsors include Emery, Marilyn Ruestman, R-Joplin, Bryan Stevenson, R-Webb City, and Kevin Wilson, R-Neosho.

If the Senate passes the measure and it is signed by Governor Matt Blunt, it would enable the Joplin R-8 School District to cut four days from its schedule and end the 2006-2007 school year on May 22, if school officials choose to do so.
Currently, the final date is set for May 31.