HILLS, MN. (KSFY-TV / KELO-AM) - It's news that every student hopes to hear when waking up during the winter -- school is closed.But lawmakers in Minnesota are looking at a bill that would eliminate up to 5 snow days in the state and keep educators teaching all school year, no matter what the weather does.
Classes were in session Thursday at Hills-Beaver Creek Public Schools. But when snow storms hit the town, the desks stay empty. "Snow days are kind of the bain of a superintendent's existence if you will," said superintendent Todd Holthaus.
Minnesota lawmakers are considering a bill that would keep those chairs empty without having to miss any classroom time. "It would be very nice, it would be very excited to do that so the students would be able to log on," said Hills-Beaver Creek math teacher Nora Wysong. Students would be able to log in from home on a computer or tablet and complete assignments online. Something that Wysong believes is a good addition. "I need them right now. If we missed February 14, I needed to teach that day so all that is happening to our curriculum so we are being pushed back," said Wysong.
Some school districts in Minnesota already use digital learning on snow days. "They work well enough and we think they are important enough that we actually schedule, our calendar committee, which is made up by mostly teachers schedule two of these into calendar every year," said superintendent for Farmington Area Public Schools Jay Haugen. One district even refers to them as "WILD days....weather induced learning days"
But the idea of connecting from your home, could create an issue for rural communities "Some of the more decimate areas in Minnesota, South Dakota, Iowa, broadband access is not available and that's something that would denitely be a concern," said Holthaus. "If you have a student in the classroom that doesn't have the connectivity, the teacher works with that student and family and maybe it's through a phone call or some other method," Haugen said.
For now, the "snow days" are safe, as the bill heads to a education innovation committee for discussion. It's possible it could be headed for inclusion into a larger education bill. Districts would not be forced to participate, according to the bill's sponsor.