PPS board lays out plan to make up days lost during winter storm

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The Portland Public Schools Board has voted on a plan that will allow students to make up for the class time they lost during extreme winter weather earlier this year.

The Oregon Department of Education requires that students in kindergarten through the eighth grade receive 900 hours of instructional time each school year. The number increases to 990 hours for those in the ninth to 11th grade, while 966 hours are required for high school seniors.

As a result of the severe weather conditions in mid-January, PPS canceled classes for several days. ODE waived 14 instructional hours for all grades, and the Portland school board addressed the remaining lost time during a meeting on Tuesday evening.

Kindergarteners missed 17 hours of school due to the storm, and aren't expected to meet the 900 hours required by education officials. PPS will compensate for some lost time throughout 20 days in April, when the students will swap out 15 minutes of recess for more instructional time.

High school seniors still have 24 instructional hours to account for. PPS will address this by changing the planned Scholastic Aptitude Test into a full instructional day, adding two hours. An additional day has also been added to the senior calendar on May 31, adding at least five and a half hours.

According to the new resolution, most PPS high schools will remain at least 10 hours short even with the modified schedule.