ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY — Anne Arundel County had school until June 24 last year, that was because the county had eight snow days in 2021.
Now, the board has sent a request to have the possibility to use virtual learning at home for snow days in an effort to shorten the school year without losing days of learning for students.
Bob Mosier is with the county school system and tells us the school board requested no more than three virtual snow days per semester.
The county school board must get approval from the state before they can implement this.
"Nothing set in stone at all, there's a couple more stages to this plan. We'll take all the comments that we'll get through the 18th of September and take it back to the board for the 21st of September," Mosier said.
Most families don't mind a snow day, but what they may have to consider is that every random day off in the middle of the winter, could possibly start their summer vacation later.
"Every snow day in February is a school day in June, and so if we can save some of those days in June and not lose that instruction, that's what we want to do and that's what we are exploring," Mosier continues.
The school must have 180 days of instruction every year. After snow days are used up, the county has three days built into the schedule, they add extra days in June to reach that number of 180 school days.
"I live with a 4-year-old which is my grandson," says Sherryleen Lynch, a grandmother of a student in Anne Arundel County.
Lynch's daughter and her grandson live with her and he is just getting to start his school career. She thinks schools had a couple of years of virtual learning because of the pandemic and everyone should be up to speed with virtual learning.
"I think schools are pretty much adjusted to be able to do that. I know the kids will not be excited about that. I mean they enjoy those snow days so, it has its pros and it's cons," says Lynch.
"Now there's no guarantee that every inclement day will be a virtual day, we'll look at those on a case by case basis," Mosier concludes.
To submit written testimony for the Anne Arundel County School Board about virtual snow days, click here.
