Record cold pushes Ohio schools near max on calamity days

DAYTON, Ohio (AP) — Ohio schools have canceled classes this week amid another round of extreme cold, pushing some past the number of days students are allowed to miss without having to attend makeup days at the end of the year.

Like many other districts in Ohio, most schools in the Dayton region have reached their maximum number of five calamity days, the Dayton Daily News reported. More than 15 schools in the region missed at least six days because of the weather.

“It’s a very, very strange year,” said Eric Herman, superintendent of Troy City Schools in western Ohio. “The extremes have been crazy.”

Chris Wolff, a spokeswoman for Cincinnati Public Schools, said the district has had four calamity days and was considering taking its fifth on Friday, when dangerous wind chills are expected.

“Spring needs to come,” Wolff said. “It’s only January and we’ve got a long way to go here.”