To make up for the instructional time lost due to the weather-related cancellation of school on Monday, Feb. 3, 2020, a make-up day will be held on Presidents Day.
All Canyons District schools will now hold school on Feb. 17 on their usual Monday schedules. Buses also will be operating that day.
The Presidents Day holiday was previously set aside by the District’s Calendar Committee as the designated make-up day for emergency school closures for the 2019-2020 school year. Under Utah law, public schools must conduct school for at least 990 instructional hours over a minimum of 180 days each academic year, and recover any days lost due to inclement weather. Districts are expected to build a recovery day into their calendars so as to provide families and employees advance notice of the possible need and timing for a make-up day.
Canyons’ calendars are approved each year by the Board of Education based on the recommendations of a committee made up of parents and District employees.
Decisions to cancel school are never made lightly. The early morning call for a “Snow Day” was made by administrators after consultation with Transportation Department personnel surveyed roads and reported conditions were too slippery and hazardous for safe travel. The weather-related cancellation was the second in Canyons District history.
Questions? Please find answers to frequently-asked questions below, or email communications@canyonsdistrict.org.
Why do schools have to schedule a make-up day?
Under Utah law public schools must conduct school for at least 990 instructional hours over a minimum of 180 days each academic year, and recover any days lost due to inclement weather. Canyons District’s calendar guidelines stipulate that make-up days be held on Presidents Day.
What will happen if I keep my child out of school on the make-up day?
Canyons schools will follow current attendance policies, which allow for planned vacations. Parents wishing to excuse a student’s absence need to follow the usual steps by phoning their school’s attendance office. You can find more information on the district’s attendance policies here.
What happens if we have more snow days this year?
If Canyons District uses up all of its designated make-up days, it can petition the state Superintendent of schools for a waiver of any additional days missed. Such waivers are generally granted only under extraordinary circumstances. CSD may also decide to change the school calendar by extending the school year. Any changes made to the current school calendar would have to be approved by the Canyons Board of Education.
What time will school start and end on Monday, Feb. 17?
Schools will operate according to their usual Monday schedules, as will buses. Click here to access the bell schedules for elementary schools, and here for middle and high schools.
For the secondary schools, will Feb. 17 be an A day or a B day?
The middle and high schools that are on block schedules are planning on Feb. 17 being a B day, since the snow day was a B day. This means students will have two B days in a row.
