Running out of snow days, area schools may need to shift to remote learning, extended calendar

Students in the Archdiocese of Baltimore schools were treated to an extra winter break when snow covered the area in the beginning of January, canceling school for a few days across the region. With more winter weather on the horizon – it is only January – the possibility of more snow days is likely. The question then becomes, how many are too many?

There are three weather days included in the archdiocese schools calendar, according to Superintendent Donna Hargens. The archdiocese’s schools are in nine different regions, ranging from Western Maryland to Anne Arundel County. As each region is different, schools follow the public-school jurisdiction where they are located for weather-related closings or delays.

“Parents and principals know to listen to the jurisdiction,” Hargens said. “Many of the counties have called two of the three days. Anne Arundel has used three of the three.”

If a school system uses all its weather days and more are needed, the school will be allowed to have two asynchronous days, or virtual learning days.

“Asynchronous puts a burden on the parents,” Hargens said. “Not only are they supervising kids, they’re supervising learning. In-person is more effective and better for the parents, too.”

If more weather days are needed, the superintendent said, extra school days will need to be added to the calendar. The archdiocese tries “to avoid at all costs” taking away from any other scheduled vacation days at schools, such as spring break, Hargens said.

“People have plans,” she said. “That is very hard and disruptive to families. We are limited in available days within that time.”

The only time archdiocesan schools do not have to follow their jurisdiction is in the event of cold weather. While public schools close for extreme temperatures, the archdiocese’s schools do not have to, Hargens said, as most of their students do not rely on school-provided transportation.

“Parents take them in warm cars. They are not waiting at bus stops,” Hargens said. “We have no reason to close. We could stay open.”

She noted that if a specific school wanted to remain open during a time of extreme temperature, its principal would need to make a request to the superintendent for review.

“I think the kids enjoy having a snow day off,” said Maggie Bellamy, principal at St. Joseph School in Cockeysville. “You don’t want too many because you don’t want to be in school too late.”

Baltimore County has already called two snow days, Bellamy said.

“One more to go,” Bellamy said, Jan. 16. “As I am driving back to school now, there are snowflakes falling.”

Email Katie V. Jones at kjones@CatholicReview.org

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