OXFORD — It may not have been a very snowy winter, but the Oxford Hills School District is out of snow days.

SAD 17 canceled classes Thursday when at least 7 inches of snow pelted the region throughout the day. It was the seventh snow day of the school year.

“Our calendar had six storm days built into it,” Superintendent Rick Colpitts said. “Any days taken beyond the six extends the last day of school by the same number of days.”

The last day of school will be June 15, not June 14, he said.

School officials said that although there have been fewer snowstorms this year, icy conditions have played a large role in the decision to close schools. Because the district is so large geographically, there can be specific problem areas that necessitate closing schools for the day.

Last year, all six scheduled snow days were used.

Several years ago, the district’s Board of Directors looked at using April vacation days to make up snow days, but that plan was scrubbed when the majority of teachers said they would not be available. A Saturday was set aside as a makeup day, but never used.

While the Department of Education can approve a waiver, as it did when the Oxford Hills Middle School went over its six days after a nearby warehouse fire in 2009, that does not happen very often, officials have said.

ldixon@sunjournal.com

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