Students return to school after nearly two weeks off due to inclement weather. For Highland and Mid-Prairie students, Friday was their first day back in class since January 18th. The nine-day vacation started with a day off to observe Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day on January 21st. Then a mixture of snow and sub-zero temperatures caused eight more days off from school.

Mid-Prairie Superintendent Mark Schneider says he’s never seen anything like this, “This will be, by far, the most days I can ever remember Mid-Prairie making up and I’ve been here 30 years as a teacher, principal, and superintendent. This is very, very, very unusual.”

The challenge for each school district moving forward is how to restructure the remainder of the school year to make up lost time. The State of Iowa requires schools to be in session for a minimum of 1,080 hours to be considered a full school year.