Are snow days, the ‘most magical of winter birthrights’, gone forever for KY schools?

Snow days may be a thing of the past in Kentucky.

Since COVID-19 has resulted in daily remote learning, snow days won’t be necessary this winter, said several superintendents, including those in districts such as Wolfe and Owsley that once had up to 20 snow days each year.

“We will not have weather days this school year. 100 percent of our students have internet now,” said Owsley superintendent Tim Bobrowski.

Wolfe Superintendent Kenny Bell said, “If it snows we would do virtual. That would be for this year only. Next year we hope to go back to normal.”

Eric Kennedy, Director of Advocacy for the Kentucky School Boards Association, told the Herald-Leader that every district is able to do some form of remote learning in case of a weather event that would typically close schools for a traditional snow day.

“We do not expect to see many districts closing for a ‘snow day’ without using some form of remote learning,” Kennedy said.

Nationally, the trend is the same.

Edweek. org reported in November that thirty-nine percent of principals and district leaders responding to a EdWeek Research Center survey say “their district has converted snow days to remote learning days, and another 32 percent say their districts are considering the change.”

But there is some push back and some uncertainty.

The edweek.org article said the Mahwah school district in New Jersey will continue to close school as usual during snow events even if students are home because of COVID-19. Teachers there encourage elementary students to engage in superstitious fun to make snowfall more likely “such as wearing pajamas inside out” or placing a spoon beneath a pillow while sleeping, the article said.

Campbell’s, the soup company, has an online campaign to save the snow day.

“Campbell’s is on a mission to preserve and protect our most magical of winter birthrights: the snow day,” a statement on its website said.

One Central Kentucky student, a member of the Prichard Committee Student Voice Team, said she had mixed feelings.

“I can see how phasing out snow days would be practical, but I would definitely be sad to never get another spontaneous day off, especially because it would mean a whole generation of kids wouldn’t ever get that experience,” said Emma Nesmith, a junior from Danville Independent High School.

Whether Fayette County Public Schools will have traditional snow days this winter is being “considered in conversations with staff and will be included as part of information we share with families in coming weeks,” said spokeswoman Lisa Deffendall.

In Lexington, 16th District PTA President Penny Christian said “keep the snow days in my opinion. Especially if we are in person.”

Last week, at a state Senate Education Committee meeting where educators talked about teaching during the pandemic, Casey Young of Taylor County High School said snow days were likely over. Students wouldn’t have to miss instruction now that Kentucky has a system for widespread learning from home, he said.

“I’m afraid the idea of snow days are officially over now,” he said. “I don’t mean to say that to get kids upset. “

Young clarified that he wasn’t advocating that all days off during winter weather be eliminated because “snow days can be good to get caught up,” and can be good for family time.

Young said, however, on days away from school buildings, teaching and learning could continue, and he and other teachers could schedule online hours. So districts wouldn’t have to makeup days in the summer.

In Boone County, Barbara Cain-Brady, school/community relations coordinator, told Cincinnati.com last month that “thanks to COVID, snow days no longer exist. Adjusting education around COVID-19 has shown there’s no need for them. Education can be done remotely.”

Since the pandemic began in March 2020, Kentucky school districts have stopped in-person learning and turned to virtual learning for long periods.

KSBA in a Twitter post last week said that at least 122 of Kentucky’s 171 school districts will begin in-person classes on or after Jan. 11. Twenty-eight districts were already holding in-person classes with one more scheduled to begin last Thursday. Seventy-three districts are using a hybrid schedule with students attending on alternating days.

Fayette County Public Schools won’t begin in-person learning before January 22. When face-to-face instruction resumes, the district will have a graduated return beginning with elementary grades.

Scott County Superintendent Kevin Hub said when his district goes back to in-person learning after January 22 and snow day conditions occur, “if the district is under virtual learning for all students, it will continue with virtual learning and cancel the limited two hour in-person classes scheduled for that day.”

If Scott County is under an in-person mode, schools will officially use non-traditional instruction days, called NTI.

The Non-Traditional Instruction Program is a state program that encourages the continuation of academic instruction on days when school would otherwise be canceled. School districts create plans to deliver instruction to every student in the district. Prior to widespread use of NTI in the COVID-19 pandemic, the Commissioner of Education was waiving up to 10 NTI days to count towards student attendance days in the school districts’ calendars.

Prior to the inception of NTI, Kentucky school districts lost many days of instructional time due to weather related closures. According to the 2009-2014 snow days by district data, the state had an average of 7.8 snow days each school year

In 2014, the Courier-Journal reported that Perry County Schools had missed 21 days due to weather and had canceled spring break as a result.

“We will not have any snow days this year in Perry County,” Superintendent Jonathan Jett told the Herald-Leader Sunday. “If we experience inclement weather our teachers will provide instruction virtually from home to their students.”

Woodford Superintendent Scott Hawkins said Friday he was uncertain if any traditional snow days will be utilized this year in that district, saying “there are many variables to consider.”

But Russell County Superintendent Michael Ford said in a Twitter post on November 30:

“I know my school superintendent friends share this thought...light snow, wet roads & freezing temps do not invoke the same feelings during virtual instruction as compared to a normal day in a school year. Snow (NTI) days will never be the same because instruction can continue!”

The Non-Traditional Instruction program began as a pilot in 2011, then as a statewide program in the 2014-2015 school year. From 2011-2019, over 1500 instructional days have been saved for Kentucky school districts, including a record 510 instructional days during the 2017-2018 school year and 399 instructional days during the 2018-2019 school year, officials said on the state education department website.

“Wolfe County was one of the first districts to start non traditional instruction about 8 years ago because we were missing so many snow days,” said Bell, the superintendent. “That was the original plan —- keep from those long winter breaks in instruction.”

This story was originally published January 11, 2021 at 11:15 AM.