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February 21, 2022
Could a Bill Floating in Trenton Be the End of NJ School Children's Snow Days?
Because virtual learning went so well, it should definitely be utilized whenever a school system has to cancel classes due to inclement weather.
That's the concept behind
S464, a bill sponsored by three New Jersey state legislators that would allow school districts to use remote learning instead of a typical snow day.
If passed, the bill would allow any district to use a day of virtual or remote teaching if it chose to close due to inclement weather or hazardous travel conditions. This would allow schools to meet the state's 180-day instruction requirement.
Virtual days would not have to be used instead of snow days in any school district. Snow days could still be given to kids (and instructors), but make-up days would have to be added at the conclusion of the school year in June, as they do today.
State senators Nick Sacco and Joseph LaGana, both Democrats from North Jersey, presented the bill in January, with Republican Sam Thompson of Old Bridge as a co-sponsor. It has passed out of the Senate Education Committee, indicating that it has widespread support.
Sacco and LaGana both told the Bergen Record that they introduced this bill to avoid New Jersey school years from stretching into late June, especially since school districts are increasingly calling snow days.
The bill exempts two-hour delayed openings, late starts, and early dismissals from its provisions. For example, virtual learning could not be used for two hours before school started at 11 a.m.
"While we can appreciate a good snow day, no one wants to see their summer vacation or even spring break chipped away," Lagana told the newspaper. "This legislation will allow districts the ability to go remote on days where traveling to school is not feasible but connecting remotely is."
