SAINT PAUL, Minn. — Snow days are practically a right of passage in Minnesota, where several inches of falling ice and snow guarantees students will be glued to their TVs, eagerly waiting for an announcements from schools: Do we have to go today, or will classes be canceled for snow?
For students in the St. Paul School District, those snow days will be no more.
In a Monday night meeting, the SPPS School District voted to utilize up to five potential snow days for e-learning.
Superintendent Joe Gothard noted that he hadn't had to make a call on snow days in quite in while, since SPPS spent most of the winter learning remotely because of COVID. But he supported the idea as another way to utilize the technology available to students, since students in Pre-K through grade 12 now have access to iPads, internet hotspots and other learning technology.
The option of e-learning would also be available for other events that would otherwise cancel class, Gothard noted, like a burst pipe or similar incident.
Board member Chauntyll Allen laughingly said before the unanimous vote that it felt like she had "grown up or something, making kids do homework on snow days," a sentiment no doubt echoed by many Minnesota parents.
Normally a snow day would be declared if the wind chill was below -35, the regular air temperature dipped below-25, or if there was enough ice or snow to make school bus travel too dangerous.
Most SPPS students are currently attending in-person classes, with COVID restrictions in place, as per guidelines from the state of Minnesota and the CDC.
