Berkley School Officials Now Say School Will Be Closed Wednesday

This year’s holiday break may go into the record books as one of the longest for students in the Berkley School District, which announced Tuesday night that schools will be closed again Wednesday.

Families are advised that the Avery school-year program will be closed, but the Tyndall year program will be open. The Kids’ Zone Latchkey drop-in will be available for a fee at Tyndall.

Superintendent Dennis McDavid said the following on the school district’s web site:

“Our schools will be closed again tomorrow. I know this delights many of you and disappoints others. Please allow me to explain my reasoning. When I sent the message earlier today which said in part that we expected to be open tomorrow (Wednesday), I fully expected to be open and wanted to give parents, teachers and students the opportunity to be prepared.

“In the note I also indicated that things may change. Indeed some things have. While the forecast has not gotten worse, nearly every district in Oakland and the surrounding counties has closed. It may be all districts are closed, but I haven't had time to fully check.

“Finally, our busing contractor Servicar South has closed for tomorrow. In consulting with them they believe conditions in the morning have the potential to be dangerous because of icing on the roads. All of these things taken together have led me to believe that the only reasonable decision is to close again tomorrow. Thank you again for your understanding and support.”

Students haven’t been in school since Dec. 20.

Recently, Gov. Rick Snyder signed legislation allowing schools with too many snow days to avoid having to schedule extra days in the summer.

Michigan school districts are required to provide 1,098 hours of instruction over the course of at least 170 days, Harting said.

According to Public Act 29 of 2013, school districts that weren't open at least 170 days can continue receiving state funding, as long as they still meet the 1,098-hour minimum. That means school districts that had more than six snow days this year can hold longer days for the remainder of the school year instead of adding days.

The new law only applies to the current school year.

(Patch Local Editor Andrew Thurlow contributed to this report.)