KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Most East Tennessee schools are running low on their budgeted days off, and some like Knox County have run out after canceling classes again on Wednesday.
We spoke to most schools in the area to find out how many days off they have left -- and what they will do if they run out.
Most schools have a couple of virtual days they can use, but many said they would only consider that as a last option over other methods of making up the days. That includes the possibility of extending the school year, turning professional development days into make-up days, or possibly cutting spring break short.
Here's what schools that answered had to say:
Alcoa
►Days Used: 5
►Days Left: 5
Alcoa has two built-in virtual days as well as professional development days it can turn into regular school days if it runs out of days off.
Anderson Co.
►Days Used: 8
►Days Left: 2
If Anderson County goes over its max, it would extend school into the summer break.
Campbell Co.
►Days Used: 8
►Days Left: 5
No virtual days.
Clinton
►Days Used: 7
►Days Left: 3
Clinton City Schools has two built-in virtual days as well as in-service days it can turn into school days if it runs out of weather days. It said it would use its in-service days first before using the virtual days.
Cocke Co.
►Days Used: 10
►Days Left: 0
Fentress Co.
►Days Used: 9
►Days Left: 4
Fentress County has two virtual days. It said it would possibly extend the school year if it goes over its max.
Hamblen Co.
►Days Used: 7
►Days Left: 2
Jefferson Co.
►Days Used: 10
►Days Left: 0
"If we go over additional days we would petition the state for a waiver hardship, change April 1st from a Professional Development Day to a regular school day, and finally we would extend the school year past the final scheduled day of school May 21st. We have not used any type of virtual day."
Knox Co.
►Days Used: 8
►Days Left: 0
Knox County Schools said it plans on bringing a proposal to the Knox County Board of Education on Thursday and said it is looking at early options to build up instructional time. KCS Superintendent Jon Rysewyk said the school system is trying to be as flexible as possible if it has to take more unexpected days off. He said KCS hopes to recoup a few days before turning to options like shortening spring break or extending the school year. Knox County also has two virtual days.
Lenoir City
►Days Left: 3
Lenoir City has one virtual day and in-service days it can turn into make-up days if it goes over its max.
Loudon Co.
►Days Used: 8
►Days Left: 3
Maryville
►Days Used: 4
►Days Left: 1
Maryville has two virtual days that it can use.
Morgan Co.
►Days Used: 10
►Days Left: 3
Morgan County has two unused virtual days. At the moment, it does not have a specific plan.
Newport
►Days Used: 5
►Days Left: 5
Oak Ridge
►Days Used: 6
►Days Left: 2
Oak Ridge has two virtual days, but would turn to using staff development days as make-up days first.
Oneida
►Days Left: 5
Oneida City Schools would use its virtual days as a last resort -- saying it would rather consider using spring break days as make-up days, having students attend school on days scheduled to be off, or adding extra days at the end of its normal school year.
Roane Co.
►Days Used: 9
►Days Left: 2
Beyond the 11 days, it said it would consider using discretionary days such as Presidents Day and Good Friday.
Scott Co.
►Days Used: 8
►Days Left: 5
Scott County Schools said it would talk with its board of education first before deciding on a make-up plan.
Sevier Co.
►Days Used: 8
►Days Left: 5
Sevier County Schools said it would convert other calendar dates that students do not attend to school days to prevent students from having to attend additional days at the end of the year. It also has two virtual days.
Union Co.
►Days Used: 7
►Days Left: 3
Union County Schools said it would not consider using Saturdays or Spring Break days as make-up days if it goes over budget. In the worst case, it said it would add extra days to the end of the school year -- but would go through the state and local school board for approval first. It has two virtual days it could also use.