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Should Schools Cancel Snow Days?

February 14, 2022

To many kids across the U.S., a snowstorm means an unexpected day off from school. Some kids stay cozy with a mug of hot cocoa, while others sled down snow-covered hills.

But students in New York City public schools will be attending class in any kind of weather this winter. The city’s Department of Education announced last May that instead of schools being closed during heavy snow, students will log in for remote learning. Officials say this will cut down on interruptions that come with school closures and will prevent students from falling behind.

Meanwhile, in many other cities, schools continue to give students a break from learning during bad winter weather. Some people point out that many kids don’t have reliable Wi-Fi, and it could be even worse during heavy snowstorms and ice storms.

The Mahwah Township school district in New Jersey had its first snow day of the school year on January 7. District officials say it’s important to give students a day off during snowstorms so they can enjoy themselves and “just be kids.”

Here’s what two of our readers think.

Some kids have missed a lot of school because of the pandemic. Now that many of us have the ability to learn remotely from home, there’s no reason to cancel school because of snow. Plus, we can still play outside in the snow and have fun after the school day ends.

Also, if schools use too many snow days, they have to add days to the end of the year to make up for the lost time. Not having snow days means we can have our normal summer break.

I live in New York City, and I’m not happy about the plan to get rid of snow days. We deserve a break from school once in a while. Just because we studied remotely during the pandemic doesn’t mean we should do it all the time. In-person learning is so much better.

Last winter, the most fun I had was doing socially distant outdoor activities like sledding with my friends. Besides, getting some exercise outside is good for kids.