WEST SUNBURY — Snow, ice and power outages have extended school calendars in Butler County further into the summer.

Power outages in particular caused woes for the Moniteau School District, where students are now scheduled to stay in class through June 13 to make up nine missed days. Still, the district's administration and a share of its parents consider the schedule change a simple reality of life in a rural school district. Others hope future years can be handled differently.

“Nobody wants to do it, but we didn't expect to have three days out with no power,” said Sean Arney, district superintendent.

The district missed its latest day Feb. 25 due to power outages resulting from Sunday's wind storm. Arney said power company workers predicted that the district wouldn't regain power until Saturday, March 2. Administrators were relieved when power was restored at about 3 a.m. Tuesday.

“It was a long decision,” Arney said. “I was on the phone with my facilities director at 11 o'clock at night trying to get updates.”

Once they were sure that all facilities would be fully functional, Arney said, they opted to hold class. He wanted to avoid further delaying graduation and AP class exam preparations.

Many residents were still without power Tuesday, when the district's schools reopened.

Lisa Pry, a parent in Cherry Township, was without electricity, but she was glad school was held.

“I was happy that they went to school,” Pry said. “There wasn't any use for them to stay home again. Why have them stay home all day if there's no power?”

Pry has one son in the district, an 11th grader in the special education program. She said she appreciates the district keeping safety in mind for her son, and she described her area's bus driver as “excellent” and mindful of road safety during stormy weather.

Extending the year further into the summer doesn't bother her, she said.

“There's 180 days no matter what they do,” Pry said. “I know some people are upset that they didn't put snow days into the calendar, but we're still going the same number of days.”

She could see, she said, families being annoyed if their holiday plans were interrupted.

That's the situation for Paula Lassinger of Coaltown, who has a ninth grader in the district. Her family has postponed a planned vacation until later in the season, she said.

Lassinger wishes the district had included designated make up days throughout the year, as it has in the past.

“I don't feel the kids should make these days up two weeks into the summer,” she said.

She was bothered that families that didn't have power were expected to send their students in anyway, even if they weren't able to bathe at home. It wouldn't be an issue, she said, if students were given excused absences for the day, but as it stands the absence counts against the district's policy of a maximum of 10 unexcused absences.

Don Thompson of Boyers, who has three students in the district, offered opposing points in defense of the district.

“I like that they put our children's safety first rather than just try to get 180 days as quickly as they can,” Thompson said. “If they have to go extra, so be it. At least they're still here.”

He said he supported the district's decision to call classes back Tuesday. Administrators make the call using the best information they have available, he said, and he stands by their ability to do so.

Kelsey Simons, an 18-year-old senior from West Sunbury, just wishes her graduation date wouldn't keep getting changed. “I'm not too excited about it,” Kelsey said. “Graduation is getting pushed back quite a bit.”

Are work-at-home days the answer?

The Seneca Valley School District participated in a test program over the last few years. The district's teachers prepared online work for students to do at home on a computer during missed school days. Those days didn't need making up.

Superintendent Arney said he had briefly discussed the program with his school board previously.

“I'd really have to look at it to see if it would fit into something we could do here,” Arney said. He said he would want to discuss the topic with their teachers' union if the state ever offered such a program to all districts.

“We'd have to ask, do we have the infrastructure and the technology to support that?” Arney said.

He's hesitant about a system that leaned too heavily on homework.

“I'm not a fan of students having a packet of busy work just so we don't have to make up a day,” he said. “I want it to be authentic learning.”

Kelsey, one of his students, seemed to confirm his fears when asked about the program.

“I feel like most of the students probably wouldn't do their work unless they were forced to,” Kelsey said.

Butler — Changed from June 5 to June 6Freeport — Unchanged, May 31Karns City — Original is June 5, one missed day unscheduledMars — Original is May 31, seven missed days unscheduledMoniteau — Changed from May 31 to June 13Seneca Valley — Unchanged, June 7Slippery Rock — Unchanged, May 30South Butler — Unchanged, June 7