Remote learning lets Ohio schools hold classes instead of snow days
It’s one of the many joys of being a kid: waking up and hearing they’re getting a “snow day” and can spend the day building a snowman, having a snowball fight or sledding instead of going to classes.
But with school districts forced to create remote learning plans because of the COVID-19 pandemic, some students have been left wondering if they’ll lose that pivotal childhood experience, even with their school back to in-person learning this year.
Well, many students may not have to worry: Some Greater Columbus districts — including the state’s largest, Columbus City Schools — say they’re only moving to remote learning as a last resort when schools have to close due to snow or severe weather days.
Related: COVID-19: What factors play a role in Greater Columbus school districts going remote?
Remote learning as ‘worst-case scenario’
While Hillard City Schools has a remote-learning plan, Superintendent David Stewart said the district hasn’t had to turn to online classes so far this school year for COVID-related reasons or inclement weather.
But if a snow or any other weather-related cancellation hits, the district won’t automatically make students move to remote learning, Stewart said
“We’ve had a great deal of collaborative conversation with (the district’s teachers’ association) about that possibility,” he said. “Where we’ve ended up is, it’s a pretty narrow set of circumstances where we’d actually do that.”
Those circumstances include if Hilliard schools knew ahead of time that it would have to close its schools for multiple days, or knew that it would have to close by mid-morning the day before, he said
Stewart said while the district has seen “unprecedented levels” of absenteeism with students, teachers, bus drivers, cooks and other staff members as part of the recent spike in COVID-19 cases, it has been able to keep schools open. And the situation with staff shortages has been “rapidly improving,” he added.
“We truly view (remote learning) as a worst-case scenario,” Stewart said. “We would expand every resource that we have to keep our doors open, as long as we can do that safely. I really don’t anticipate a scenario where we would have to close our doors.”
When Columbus City Schools closed all buildings for weather and transportation staffing issues, the district also did so without going to remote learning.
Officials with Columbus City Schools declined an interview, but a spokeswoman said in an email that if the district had to cancel school due to weather or “other extenuating circumstance,’’ it has supplemental work that students can access online to complete the state-required hours of schooling.
The district’s website also states that students should take their Chromebooks home every night in case there is a transition to remote learning during an extended weather-related closure.
School buildings are required to be open 455 hours for half-day kindergarten schools, 910 hours for full-day kindergarten through sixth grade, and 1,001 hours for students in grades 7-12, according to the Ohio Department of Education.
Other education stories: Teachers union calls on Columbus City Schools to go remote for two weeks
Snow days as a cherished childhood experience
Dublin City Schools Superintendent John Marschhausen said going to remote learning in place of canceling classes during a snow day is not a very likely option.
When the district returned from winter break, officials wrote in a message to parents that although they have no plans to go remote, they would transition to remote or close schools “if we don’t have enough healthy staff to operate our schools and transport students.”
“That would be an ultimate last resort,” Marschhausen explained. “That’s kind of like the oxygen mask falling in the airplane. We don’t want to have to use that.”
Not holding remote classes during snow days can put parents at ease, since many would have to find childcare for their kids regardless of being remote or canceling classes, Marschhausen said.
“We know for many parents, it’s easier not having to find your Chromebook and find your login and do those things,” he said. “So that’s why we don’t feel that it’s an extra burden on our families.”
Marschhausen added that Dublin school board has adopted calendars through the 2024-2025 school year that allow up to five calamity days a year before they would have to make days up.
At the end of the day, however, snow days are just an experience that Marschhausen believes kids should have.
“We want kids to be able to go build a snowman. … The city puts bales of hay at the bottom of big hills so kids can go sledding and have fun,” he said. “We want kids to be able to experience that joy of winter weather and living in central Ohio.”
More: COVID-19 in Ohio schools: ‘Kids belong in the classroom,’ Columbus officials say
Read More: Remote learning lets Ohio schools hold classes instead of snow days