How will all of the school closings affect district employees and the school calendar?

We have been reporting about the dozens of schools that are closing their doors because so many students are out sick with flu like symptoms.

The safety of our children is not in question, but a viewer did ask, what happens now for employees and the school calendar now that the district has to deal with an unexpected week off before the snow has even started to fly.

The answers we found for her are the subject of tonight's Fact Finder Report.

For the Traverse City Area Public School District, a week off, only six weeks into the school year, isn't something anyone could have planned for and was not a decision made lightly.

TCAPS Director of Human Resources Cindy Berck says, "Our first priority is to ensure the health and safety of our students and staff. We worked very closely with the community health department and weighed its recommendations relative to school closings and ultimately made the decision to close the entire district."

But that big decision led to even more logistical questions. Like what about the district's many employees? The answer is, it depends.

Berck says "many of our employees are working during the school closures. We have many maintenance employees and bus drivers who are in the buildings and buses disinfecting. Many of our operational staff that are not working in school buildings are health and are expected to work."

Who's not working? Those who deal directly with students, like teachers, aides, and food service employees. But they are all getting paid.

Berck says, "at this point we're working with all of our union groups and employee groups relative to the pay rate. Many of the employees are working so of course they are being paid and the others who have been directed to work are being paid consistent with their union contracts."

Employees, who are not working, are still getting paid because they were told not to report to work. It's like a snow day. But like a snow day, these days off, may have to be made up at the end of the year.

Berck says, "Our 2009-2010 school calendar year does include 5 make up days typically for inclement weather, but it will also include epidemics, or power outages, or other extenuating circumstances that require the district to extend the calendar year. So again the Michigan Department of Education requires us to make up any lost days, any district, over 5 days and those will be tacked on at the end of the school year."

And Berck says it's done on a building by building basis. For example, West Middle School was closed for two days before week the district closed, so students and staff there already have to make up 2 days at the end of the school year, and the snow hasn't even started flying yet. As it stands right now, every snow day TCAPS takes must be made up at the end of the school year.

TCAPS is negotiating with its employee unions about how to handle those extra days

School leaders are also talking with the Michigan Department of Education about the possibility of forgiving those days, and not requiring schools to make them up later.

Something that may be seriously considered, as the state and districts face an uphill budget battle.

Berck says, "because obviously if days are forgiven that affects the number of paid days you are paying to staff."

So what do you think about this? How should school districts and the Michigan Department of Education handle this flu outbreak?

Leave your comments below.