Getting Schooled in West Virginia

Gov. Joe Manchin believes West Virginia's public schools can reach the elusive mandate of 175 classroom days by revising when their annual calendar begins and ends. But as The Associated Press reports, lawmakers and others are skeptical.

AP's Tom Breen covered last week's joint House-Senate hearing at which legislators "wondered out loud whether there isn’t already enough flexibility in the calendar — in the form of vacation weeks that could be canceled in a pinch."

"About 52 of 55 counties are likely to fall short of the 180 required school days this year, mostly thanks to an unusually harsh winter," Breen explains. "State law requires students to be in class for 175 days, with five days set aside for teacher development and also for some student tutoring."

The Charleston Gazette also reported on the legislative meeting, while The Register-Herald of Beckley has an item on the Manchin bill.