WHEELING — While teachers across West Virginia are striking for a second day to help ensure Senate Bill 451 stays dead, the weather — at least locally — may have made the gesture unnecessary.

Ohio County Schools Assistant Superintendent Rick Jones said if the teachers would have waited just a little longer on Tuesday night, it is likely school in the district would have been called off anyway for today as bad weather conditions were expected this morning.

“The union reps at each building let us know they will not be in the schools today,” Jones said. “We’re hoping this will be the last day.”

If it isn’t the final day of the work stoppage, he isn’t certain what moves the board of education might make.

Ohio County Education Association President Jenny Craig said the unions simply don’t trust West Virginia House of Delegates members, and if they were back at school they couldn’t be in Charleston to keep an eye on happenings in that chamber of the Legislature this morning.

Craig said the House has 24 hours to reconsider the bill it “indefinitely postponed” at about 12:45 p.m. Tuesday. The House was scheduled to meet at 11 a.m. today, and there still would be time for a procedural move to revive the bill, know as the education omnibus bill — a comprehensive education reform package for the Mountain State.

“We have heard there are several people who voted to postpone the bill who could waiver and call for the bill to be reconsidered,” she said. “That’s why we are out (today) — to make sure the bill does die.

“It can be reconsidered and brought back to the floor,” she continued. “If we were back at school, we couldn’t be there to fight it.”

Hancock County Superintendent Tim Woodward said he couldn’t help but be disappointed with the teachers for continuing the strike that began Tuesday.

“I understand we have considerable problems trusting the Senate, but the House has been very good to educators and education,” he said “I trust when the speaker says (reconsideration) won’t happen, it won’t happen. We’ve asked the House to trust us, and we need to give them the basic respect back and let them do their job.

“Once the House has its 11 a.m. session, it’s time we start making decisions to get back in school.”

The bill contained a 5 percent pay raise and other financial incentives for teachers. But teachers said they were willing to give these up as it also contained provisions establishing as many as seven charter schools in the state, and removed caps limiting class size.

The vote to “postpone indefinitely” SB 451, passed 53-45 Tuesday with eight of nine Northern Panhandle delegates casting “yes” votes. The only local “no” vote came from Delegate Erikka Storch, R-Ohio.

“My vote was procedural, not for or against anything,” she said. “There are good things in this bill, like the $24 million for school counselors, nurses and psychologists. I wanted to continue to work it. We sent (the Senate) a good bill.”

Republicans Patrick McGeehan, R-Hancock, and David Kelley, R-Tyler, joined Democrats Joe Canestraro and Lisa Zukoff, both D-Marshall; Phil Diserio, D-Brooke; Shawn Fluharty, D-Ohio; David Pethtel, D-Wetzel; and Randy Swartzmiller, D-Hancock, in voting “yes” to postpone indefinitely.