Snow Days Or Remote Learning? Massachusetts Leaves It Up To School Districts
BOSTON (CBS) – Snow days, that long tradition of missing a day of school because of a snowstorm, might be in for a change in Massachusetts, thanks to the coronavirus pandemic.
Every school district in the state is required to have a remote learning plan in place this academic year in the event cases of the virus rise in a community.
Now, with snow season about to begin, some districts are asking about the fate of snow days - if it snows does everyone get the day off or does it now become a remote learning day?
The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has released this new guidance stating that decision will be up to each local school district:
"The Commissioner has determined that for this school year only (2020-2021), if there are days when schools must close because of inclement weather or other emergency, districts may choose whether to treat those days as "snow days" to be made up later or provide all students with remote learning on those days in a manner that is consistent with the regulatory requirements listed above. This decision will be made at the local level."