Missed School Days for Winter Weather Will Be Made Up.

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2/ 9/2011: Radio Story - Extreme winter weather forces Missouri schools to extend their calenders.

Intro:	Legislative efforts to avoid schools having to make up days lost from this winter's blizzard has died in the statehouse.
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Wrap: House Chairman of the Education Committee, Representative Scott Dieckhaus says Senate disapproval made him turn down a hearing on exemption of snow days for public schools in Missouri.

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Description: "There were a handful of people who just said hey we need the time in the desk and in the classroom."

However, sponsor, Joe Aull thinks the additional days will be counterproductive.

Aull was a former superintendent for Marshall and Lexington School Districts and says teachers have voiced their concerns about the extended school year.

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Description: "I mean there have been a lot of parents a lot of teachers and a lot of administrators. I had 31 cosigners here in the House."

Although support was strong for the bill, Dieckhaus says he doesn't want to give false hope for a bill that will not pass.

Reporting from the state Capitol I'm Becky May, Newsradio 1120 KMOX.

Intro:	A bill to keep Missouri public schools from extending their school calender during the blizzard died in the statehouse
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Wrap: Debate on whether public schools should have to make up the snow days during the last week of January has been stagnant until Missouri House Chairman of the Education Committee said opposition was strong in the Senate.

The hearing of Representative Joe Aull's bill in favor of the exemption was canceled because of this opposition.

Chairman Scott Dieckhaus says he does not want to schedule a hearing if there is little chance for it to pass.

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Description: "We do have one of the, if not the shortest school calenders in the country, and I think there is some concern out there that exempting more school days will be detrimental."

Dieckhaus also says hearing the bill would prolong the schedule conflict for teachers and just send mixed messages.

Reporting from the state Capitol I'm Becky May, Newsradio 1120 KMOX.

Intro:	Legislative efforts to avoid Missouri schools from making up snow days from the blizzard died in the statehouse.
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Wrap: Missouri Public Schools will be making up the missed snow days during the week of Jan. 31.

The debate was stagnant even after a bill was proposed by Representative Joe Aull to exempt schools from making up the week Gov. Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency.

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Description: "I think excusing schools from days they missed during that week of extremely bad emergency type weather. I think that would be a good compromise."

Although Aull thinks this is a good compromise, a handful of Missouri senators disagree which led Representative Scott Dieckhaus to cancel the hearing of the bill and avoid confusion in the schools.

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Description: "I didn't want them thinking there was hope of this passing if there was not."

Reporting from the state Capitol I'm Becky May, Newsradio 1120 KMOX.