Should We Have Weather Cancellation Days?

Picture this: You wake up and see big blobs of snow falling outside your window. You know what this means—snow day! 

You race down the stairs, excited about the snowman you’re about to build. But before you get outside, your dad calls, “School’s about to start!” 

Wait—you still have school? That’s right. Some schools are now skipping weather cancellation days. If there’s a snowstorm, a heat wave, or a heavy rainstorm, these schools don’t cancel classes. Instead, students turn on their computers and continue to learn from home. But should kids still have these days off?

For some schools, the answer is no. New York City public schools ditched snow days this year. Students there keep on learning, whatever the weather. School leaders say that remote learning keeps students from falling behind. 

Third-grader Khloe Abbott also points out that kids can still have fun while taking classes at home. “You can play and build a snowman at break time or after class is over,” she explains.

Best of all, missed days won’t get added to the end of the year. So students get their full summer break. Who wants to be in school when you could be at the pool?

But plenty of people think schools should still close for bad weather. They argue that kids need a break from school once in a while. Snow days let kids sleep in and have fun. Students come back to school refreshed and ready to learn.

Many students also experience technical problems, like bad internet access. This can make it tough to learn at home. That access could be worse during a storm. “I don’t learn as much at home, because my Wi-Fi keeps going out and my computer keeps freezing,” says third-grader Aubrielle Jackson.

Besides, many schools already include extra days on their calendars. So a few cancellation days won’t make summer break shorter. But they will make the school year more fun for a lot of kids.

Snow is falling, and it’s time to decide: remote learning or a relaxing day off?