BETHEL — Even if you are no longer in school, there is something fun and nostalgic about waking up to, “No School Today!” on your voicemail.

It’s even nicer when SAD-44 Superintendent Mark Kenney’s daughter, Ginny, age, 4, relays the message.

However, it is only January and though no one’s fault, school has been canceled six times already this school year compared to two days by this time last year.

What is different this year are the four non-snow days that have pushed the total number of cancellation days up: one day for the Lewiston shootings; three days for flooding; and two days for snow. (The second cancellation day after Lewiston, became a teacher workshop day, so only one was counted as a miss.)

‘This scenario and this situation in [these past] six months is very unique,” said Kenney, who said they expect to receive a waiver from the state to excuse the day off after Lewiston and excuse the three state of emergency days off before Christmas break.

If approved, they will only have used two of the five snow days that are built into the school calendar each year.

Maine Department of Education requires public schools maintain at least 180 days, with at least 175 days used for instruction.

Remote days

If they end up using all of their five snow days, they will transition to remote snow days where students work from home with work packets and Zoom (if they have access to the Internet and if they still have power). Remote snow days are not counted as snow cancellation days.

On remote snow days the district must offer breakfast and lunch. Last year Ryan “Chef” Kimball made up take-home non-perishable and pre-made freezer meals. He will survey parents and do the same this year.

Kenney said since he has worked in the district, the most snow days came in 2018, when beginning in October, they had a total of 13 snow days. “It was like being a kid, unprecedented snow,” he said.

The district made up for lost instruction by adding a one-hour extension to every school day from February vacation to April vacation. Adding those hours, said Kenney, gave them five days back. They would have been in school until the end of June if not for the extensions.

“It was a very, hot Spring. It was torturous … it made for a long year and a very short summer turnaround,” said Kenney.

Decision day

Deciding whether to cancel school starts at around 4:30 a.m. Kenney scours the news and texts with seven other area superintendents.  Transportation Supervisor Jim Whitman, in the meantime, is driving in and talking to other transportation directors, said Kenney. Safety is their first consideration not only for the buss loads of children but also for student drivers.

As of right now, if the DOE waives the days they have requested and they don’t use more than the two snow days they have taken, the last day of school would be Monday, June 10.

If they use all five snow days, June 13 would be the final day.

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