Tweet

Waking up on a school day seeing the roads covered in snow, students watch a day turn from a two-hour delay to a full cancelation. They run outside and jump in the snow without worrying about school.

Will this ever happen again?

Due to COVID-19, school closures and the necessity of virtual education, students have been exposed to the idea of learning online, making it a possibility for snow days to become obsolete.

However, this might not be the case in Bellwood.

School officials say the two-hour delays are still in play. Above all, they help the highway personnel clear the roads and give school personnel time to drive in potentially hazardous conditions.

There will even be room for closures of a sort, and that will be put to the test Tuesday. Due to a severe weather forecast, the Bellwood-Antis School District will close, leaving students to learn for the day asynchronously, accessing learning materials online.

Last school year, well before anyone had heard of the novel coronavirus or COVID-19, the district was approved for 5 FID days (Flexible Instructional Days) by the PA Department of Education. FID days were like online classes that helped cut down on cancelations. They offered teachers the opportunity to plan ahead in the threat of a school closure and provide learning materials for students online in a mostly asynchronous fashion.

Other than FID days and two-hour delays, what is B-A’s option for cancellation of school? District officials said it days can go several ways. In some cases, students could get a full day off.  

It’s not all bad news. There are some major benefits of not having snow days. For example, students will actually get their full Ester break this year, unlike last year where they only received one day off.

Students will also not have an extended school year and will actually be able to have a full summer break.