Walled Lake schools tack on makeup day after bus driver sickout

Walled Lake Consolidated Schools extend school year by 1 day after bus driver sickout cancelled classes

WALLED LAKE, Mich. – The Walled Lake Consolidated School District has extended the school year by one day to make up for the day missed when 25 percent of the district's bus drivers called in sick.

Without the calendar tweak the district would lose more than $730,000 in state of Michigan funding. Still, the decision to extend the year is annoying to parents and students.

Read back: Walled Lake bus drivers call in sick, classes canceled

"Bad for them to have to suffer because of the bus drivers. I understand (the bus drivers') gripe, too, but you can't make somebody else suffer for your gripe," said Andre Willis, a parent.

Superintendent Kenneth Gutman told parents, "We apologize for this inconvenience. We apologize that our children lost a day of instruction, and we are working to ensure that this does not happen again."

"Why do we have to take it if the bus drivers already did that?" said 3rd-grader Brynn.

The bus drivers are angry about transportation being privatized next year. Now, many parents and kids are angry at the bus drivers.

Read back: Walled Lake schools to privatize buses

"That was just completely wrong and out of line for them to do. Now, everyone has to suffer, it's midweek," said one parent.

School always ends on a 1/2 day in Walled Lake. However, that has been pushed back to Wednesday, June 12. Some complain the district should have counted the bus drivers' sickout as one of he snow days it never used, but the state education department does not allow that.

An attendance of at least 75 percent is required to make that last day count.