Pa. Senate OKs Bill Offering Snow Day Relief

By Tony Romeo

HARRISBURG (CBS) -- The Pennsylvania Senate has passed a bill designed to give schools more flexibility in making up snow days from this brutal winter, but it's unclear whether it will get action in the state House.

The bill, passed unanimously by the Senate, clarifies that schools can meet the minimum requirements for instruction by calculating hours instead of days. A spokesman says leaders of the House majority believe that the Department of Education will allow schools to do that already, and that legislation is not necessary. Republican Jake Corman is the sponsor of the Senate bill.

"My bill would allow the school districts not to have to go through the department to get it done. We're just trying to give us much flexibility as we possibly can to the school districts. This would maximize that ability," Corman said.

Corman's bill would also allow schools to hold classes one Saturday a month to make up lost days. But the spokesman for the House majority leader says there is, for now, no plan to vote on the bill.

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