As we all know, remote learning has been a life-saver for students and schools during the pandemic. And with the addition of the 3-hour delay option last year, the school has been able to bring students into school when a 2-hour delay isn't enough, but a snow day may be too much. But with the addition of these two options to the school's arsenal, what does this mean for the fate of snow days? What do the students and faculty think about the three options?
The first thing that needs to be done is to see what each option does specifically and figure out its pros and cons. The best way to do this is to ask Greenwood School District's superintendent, Dr. Nicholas Guarente. When asked what the administration does to decide which option is best for the weather conditions, his response was, “The decision-making process begins with [an] analysis of the forecast the evening before potential weather. In the early morning hours, an updated analysis takes place in addition to me driving district roads to ascertain particular conditions in geographic locations. Next, conversations take place with other superintendents within our Intermediate Unit and local area to determine weather impacts across our region. Once all of the information is processed, a decision is made.” So, it is obvious that a lot of things go into making the decision which option to use or if no options are necessary.
The 2-hour delay is the shortest option the school has. As noted by the name, the school day starts 2 hours later than normal. The same thing is for the 3-hour delay. Both options allow, as described by Dr. Guarente, “the opportunity for in-person instruction, meal service, socialization and the mental/physical benefits of moving around and thoughtful engagement”. Being able to have social interaction with other students is not only important to the administration, but also to most students. In a survey sent out to the students of Greenwood Middle/High School, 32 of the 59 students who participated preferred one of the delay options (23 for 2-hour delay and 19 for 3- hour delay) over having a remote learning day. One student who voted 3-hour delay as their preference put it this way, “ A 3-hour delay lets you relax for the day because you go in later and your classes are shorter. You get the best of the 2-hour delay and remote learning; you are home more but are still able to go in for classes.”
Even though the majority of students would prefer having a delay rather than remote learning, there is a good reason for 'going remote' as Dr. Guarente puts it, “[it] provides instruction and virtual interaction when the desired in-person model is not feasible due to safety or health concerns.” Teachers seem to prefer a delay option as well. This is what math teacher Mrs. Brummer had to say, “I generally would rather have students in person; therefore, if a delay offers the option for in-person instruction, I prefer a delay of either type. However, particularly when winters are hard and there would be numerous days off, I appreciate the option for virtual learning to keep instruction rolling.”. The choral director and music teacher, Mrs. Davis, also added that “for the mental health and quality of instruction for our students, I find it best to be in person. So if it is possible to be in school, then a delay is good.”
Not everyone at Greenwood agrees with those who prefer a delay. 28.8% of the students who responded to the survey (59 students) preferred a remote day to the ever-popular delay. One student put it this way, “It is just the most logical of [the three choices] since we don't miss any class periods, and nobody is put in danger by bad roads, especially the people who live out of town.”
Now that we've gotten some opinions about the different options, it's time to get down to the question of the hour: what does all of this mean for snow days? Prior to the remote model and the 3-hour delay, snow days were used a lot more often, which makes sense.
The only other option was a 2-hour delay and that sometimes isn't enough to provide students safe transport to school. It was expected when the 3-hour delay was added last year that the number of snow days would decrease (even though the moderateness of winter last year made it unnecessary for snow days or delays), but adding remote learning caught students 'off guard' because, in a snap, there was something that could eliminate snow days altogether. Dr. Guarente informs us, “moving forward it is quite possible that snow days could decrease due to the development of the 3-hour delay schedule and the ability to conduct remote instruction. Our goal has been to remain balanced for this school year”. So students can take a sigh of relief, for now. At least for the remainder of this school year, snow days aren't completely a thing of the past. They are just a lot less likely to be used. Time will only tell what will happen to snow days in the years to come.