Scheduling vacation after school gets out for the summer..what about snow extensions?

[Barb D]

If we go to WDW this summer, we'd want to go IMMEDIATELY after school gets out...partly because DD12's bday is a few days after the last scheduled day of school and it will take us two days to get down there. She wants to be in the MK on her bday, not in the car.

But what do we do if the school year is extended by snow days? I wouldn't have a problem pulling her and DD6 out a few days early, but DS14 will have high school exams the last few days of school so I wouldn't want to pull him out.

Has this happened to anyone else?

At least we would know a bit ahead of time if the year will be extended, but I don't know how easy it would be to change our reservations for a busy time of year.

 

[Miller1412]

Is there any possibility that snow days are built in to your schedule all ready?

 

[Barb D]

Is there any possibility that snow days are built in to your schedule all ready?

Nope. Every snow day extends our school year.

Our last day is Tuesday, June 13th. We would have to leave on Thursday the 15th to be in the MK in time for DD's bday. That would leave room for ONE snow day. Maybe two if we start driving the afternoon of the 15th after a half day of school.

DS could fly down by himself on Friday after school if they have 3 snow days. But if there are more than 3, that would send school into the next week and throw the whole vacation off schedule.

 

[debster812]

Is there any possibility that snow days are built in to your schedule all ready?

The flip side to this too, is that in my town, snow days ARE built into the school year, and we STILL went past that last day of school due to the number of snow days we had.

To the OP--I'd call the school and just ask what would happen. They might make arrangements for your HSchooler to take his exams early?

 

[bicker]

Wouldn't that be a violation of accreditation regulations? The accreditation standards are quite explicit about the minimum number of hours of instruction, and I don't believe schools can sanction exceptions to that minimum, without those variances being within those specifically allowed under the regulations. (Here in Mass, it's 603 CMR 27.00 that applies.)

 

[Tigger&Belle]

In our county the exams end earlier than the last official day for the younger kids. So there is a little cushion built in.

If I were you I'd either wait to schedule the vacation until you know about the school ending date, or I'd schedule to leave on that Thursday and if your son's exams would interfere with that, one of you fly down with him and the others drive.

 

[aprilgail2]

I would wait until closer to the spring to set the dates to go and then fly down the day after school end...even if that is on her birthday at least she will get to magic kingdom that day if you fly early. Our school year has not been extended in the past 35 years ever...they build in 5 snow days and most of the time we end up with getting a few days more off at memorial day due to unused snow days...

 

[Miller1412]

Wouldn't that be a violation of accreditation regulations? The accreditation standards are quite explicit about the minimum number of hours of instruction, and I don't believe schools can sanction exceptions to that minimum, without those variances being within those specifically allowed under the regulations. (Here in Mass, it's 603 CMR 27.00 that applies.)

I don't know...it might be different in different states. A couple of years ago, we had several big snows that had us missing lots of school, but the governor "forgave" some of the missed days and we didn't have to make them up. We also don't make up anything that is considered a "state of emergency".

 

[NCombs]

I have allowed for 2 snow days in our schedule. If it goes beyond that we will explain to the school we scheduled vacation based on the school calendar and have already purchased plane tickets and such. I'm sure this happens and can be worked around. I don't anticipate that it will be a problem. Last year we had to go an extra week and I'm sure that interfered with previously scheduled vacations.

 

[ksjayhawks]

I wouldn't be worried about the DDs last days of school--I assume that they are in elementary schoo yet--but I would be about DS, especially with his exams the last days. Not sure if he would be allowed to take the exams early or not and you would hate to mess up his GPA for a trip that could be postponed a few days.

If you don't make it to MK on the day of dd's birthday, will it be the end of the world? (no pun intended) Isn't it the fact that you are going down there as a family and can celebrate her birthday while you are there just as important?

I would rather wait a few days to go down and feel safe about ds not missing school. Or wait until spring and snow days have happened to book your trip. Then you will know what is going on.

Or, since you are driving, why not book extra days on either end and then cancel the ones you don't need once you know what will happen?

 

[Kitty 34]

That actually happened to us a few years ago. We had to add three days onto the year and all three of those days we were at Disney. Luckily my boys were in middle school so they didn't have to miss any exams. Ironically, tho my one son missed his awards assembly where they announced his name for the Perfect Attendance for the Year award!! I still have that award on the wall with a picture of my DS at Magic Kingdom on that day!!

 

[bballmom56]

I scheduled our trip in 2004 the same way you are trying to do. I was making reservations and flight plans in February. I knew the last scheduled day of school at that point and gave myself a couple of days. Wouldn't you know we had 3 more snow days after that . We were to leave on Thursday and the last day of school was Friday which was ok since there were no exams scheduled for Friday. However, DS did have to arrange to make up the exam scheduled for Thursday, but he had no trouble taking it earlier. Everything worked out fine in the end, but you may just want to check with your school district to see how they accomodating they would be.

 

[azgal81]

When I was in school and we had a snow day (I grew up in Indiana) they just made one of our half days into full days. We always got out by the last day of classes. I would just wait and see if you have any snow days this year and then explain to the school that your plane tickets were purchased already. I'm sure they would let your son take his exams earlier because of that.

 

[Barb D]

Ironically, tho my one son missed his awards assembly where they announced his name for the Perfect Attendance for the Year award!!

This is perfect!

We've decided to go at Spring Break, partly because of this issue and partly because of the heat.

 

[Poohnatic]

We planned our vacation one year to leave the day school ended. What we didn't realize is that our district had built in four snow days-which we didn't use that year. So, school was out for almost a week before we headed to WDW.

suzanne

 

[piratesmate]

Really?!?! If we didn't use our snow days - tough. We still ended on the day the calendar said!

Now, the don't build in any days, but tell us which spring break days the kids "give back" if there are snow days. If they go over, then they tack days onto the end of the year.

 

[crazelion]

Is you in area where get snow every year. If so I would wait bbefore I spend money on a trip.

But in a area where you rarely see snow go head plan the trip.

 

[Rock'n Robin]

Here in Ohio every school I know of can use 5 days for snow days. After that they get made up. My district automatically tacks them on at the end of the year (can't use spring break, God forbid, all our administrators golf that week in Georgia). I WISH we got out earlier if we didn't use the days--no one does that around here.
Since I teach I have never dared go earlier than June 20--I can't finish a school year and pack up and go right away; I'd be way too frazzled. But we fly--since you drive you have the flexibiility.
I know that if a student asks me to take an exam early, I always have them clear it with the office. I had a student last year who was in a travel baseball tourney on his sr. exam day, and to be honest I didn't believe him, but he proved it to the office and we set up an alternate time. I'm sure if your son says "Hey, we had it planned so I wouldn't miss school but then we had 5 snow days", they will be nice about it. BUT it doesn't hurt to ask just in case.
Robin M.