14,000 Iowans want the governor to pardon school snow days. She can't, but here's who can.

Thousands of Iowans are calling for Gov. Kim Reynolds to excuse school days missed during last month's polar vortex. 

An online petition asking Reynolds to pardon students from making up cancellations of three bone-chilling days in late January had nearly 14,000 signatures Thursday afternoon.

"Under Iowa law, the governor doesn’t have the legal authority to forgive snow days," Pat Garrett, Reynolds' communications director, said in an emailed statement.

RELATED:Des Moines Public Schools ends early-outs to make up for snow days

While the governor doesn't have that power, Iowa state legislators do. That's what's happening in Michigan, where lawmakers are considering a bill to forgive snow days.

Iowa state law now requires schools to hold class for a minimum of 1,080 hours or 180 school days per school year, creating flexibility in school calendars.

Many school districts already have more hours built into their calendar, however, which limits the need for make-up days. Others add school days to the end of their calendar or, in certain cases, extend the school day to make up time. 

More:Michigan lawmakers may forgive snow days after frigid temperatures

Amber Williams of Palo, a small Linn County town in the Cedar Rapids Community School District, created the petition.

If districts are required to make up the days at the end of the school year, "future district leaders could possibly make poor decisions with school closures which could result in more injuries and/or fatalities," the petition says. 

The Register has not been able to reach Williams for comment.

Williams claims in the petition that Minnesota and Wisconsin governors pardoned missed school days at the end of January in their states. But a spokeswoman from the Minnesota Department of Education says that's not true.

"The governor does not have the authority to waive school instruction time requirements that are set in state statute," Emily Bisek, assistant director of communications for the Minnesota Department of Education, said. 

More:How cold does it have to get for Iowa schools to cancel classes?

Debbie Hadley, a spokeswoman for Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers, also confirmed in an interview that the governor didn't issue a pardon to any school districts for instructional time missed due to weather and doesn't have the authority to do so.

On Feb. 14, the day Williams created the petition, the Cedar Rapids Community School District sent out an email to parents about preliminary plans that were being made to make up instructional time missed due to weather. 

In a document detailing the discussions around this plans, a note was included: "Additionally, please be aware that, despite rumor, the Governor is not likely to 'forgive' days as this would require legislative action."

"I think parents caught wind of other parents in bordering states suggesting that it was something occurring in their districts and didn't realize that it is in fact not occurring in bordering states and is equally unlikely to occur in our state as it is in those other states,"  said Akwi Nji, director of communications for Cedar Rapids schools.

Nji added: "I just think it's a complete misunderstanding."

However, at least one Midwestern state does allow governors to intercede. North Dakota law allows the governor to waive the requirement to reschedule classes if it would create an undue hardship, according to the Bismarck Tribune.

A petition asking North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum to pardon missed school days received nearly 8,000 signatures in early February, resulting in Burgum granting waivers to schools on a case-by-case basis.

Williams updated the Iowa petition to say she's "hopeful Governor Reynolds can provide more information about Iowa Code requiring 'Public Health Disasters,'" and hopes that "if no change can be made this year ... I want to help with this issue for future years."

Chapter 137 of the Iowa code states the governor can declare a state of disaster emergency and request the appropriation of additional funds, but it contains no language or guidance for schools or days missed due to weather.

State law requires Iowa school districts to provide students either 1,080 hours or 180 days of instructional time each school year.

West Des Moines Community Schools noted that they had missed two days of school this year due to weather and, as long as they don't miss a third, won't have to make them up.

Follow the Register on Facebook and Twitter for more news. Aaron Calvin can be contacted at acalvin@dmreg.com or on Twitter @aaronpcalvin.