As reported by Fox 8 News, the Bedford City School District has exhausted all available calamity days for Bedford High School this school year, prompting a shift in how instruction is delivered when closures occur.
Since the beginning of the year, the high school has been closed six times due to a combination of severe winter weather and power or internet outages. Those closures, along with additional power-related disruptions, have used up the building’s allotted calamity hours.
As a result, when the high school closed again on Thursday, students were required to participate in an asynchronous learning day. Under this format, students complete assigned schoolwork independently rather than attending in-person classes.
District officials noted that this change currently applies only to the high school. Kindergarten through eighth-grade schools within the district still have calamity days remaining and were able to use one for Thursday’s closure. A district spokesperson indicated that no further comment would be provided beyond the brief public statement issued by the district.
While students adjusted to remote learning, utility crews were on-site addressing infrastructure issues. FirstEnergy crews were reportedly working on power lines connected to the main high school building on Thursday in an effort to resolve ongoing electrical problems.
Local media, including FOX 8 News, reached out to FirstEnergy for additional information regarding the situation.
The district has not yet indicated whether further closures could lead to additional asynchronous learning days for high school students as the school year continues, but families are encouraged to monitor district communications for updates.
