The state should not grant a special exemption to the South Butler School District permitting the district to forgo making up four snow days.

Other school districts in the commonwealth are required to provide 180 days of instruction; South Butler should not be an exception.

Because of a teachers strike in a contract dispute that remains unsettled, the district's school year already is scheduled to extend into late June. Under the current calendar, the final day of classes is June 21; graduation is scheduled for June 18.

But the fact that South Butler already is set to remain in session well after most other districts' classes have concluded for the 2009-10 term should not influence the state to grant the requested exemption.

In fact, the district was wrong in asking for one — especially since there remains the prospect for a short teachers strike before the school year closes — a strike that, by law, cannot interfere with the 180-day rule.

Scheduling the snow days would narrow the opening in the window for such a walkout if a contract settlement is not achieved by that time.

If the strike possibility has the potential to extend the school year until June 30 — by law, the last day permitted for classes in any school year — the state should reject the district's exemption request.

The district has indicated that if the exemption is rejected, the snow days would be made up June 22, 23, 24 and 25.

The South Butler School Board was planning to adopt a revised school calendar Wednesday evening that included the four snow days. However, the board opted to delay that action after Superintendent Frank Prazenica Jr. said the exemption reportedly was under consideration by state education officials.

Prazenica said he initially had been told by the Department of Education that the exemption was unlikely.

The Department of Education shouldn't set a bad precedent by granting the South Butler request.

"Under the circumstances, our hands are tied," Prazenica said.

Not really. Without a second thought, the district should be deciding in favor of education, rather than vacations, convenience to parents or any other consideration.

There even is a way for the district to avoid extra expenses for seniors tied to graduation. The actual graduation ceremony still could be held June 18, with diplomas being withheld until after seniors have completed their required class time.

Certainly, the state shouldn't give South Butler 180 days of subsidies if it only will be providing 176 days of classes — even if those days don't produce the highest level of student attentiveness.

South Butler's protracted labor dispute is troubling. However, it should in no way influence whether students get 180 days of instruction.

Even if the exemption is granted, the district should schedule the four snow makeup days as was the intent on Wednesday.

A survey conducted between March 10 and June 18, 2009, by Harris Interactive and paid for by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Scholastic reported that U.S. teachers are more interested in school reform and student achievement than their paychecks.

If that survey is accurate, South Butler teachers shouldn't object to the board scheduling class days on June 22, 23, 24 and 25.