BAY VILLAGE, Ohio — Many local school districts have already canceled school for Tuesday after not having classes today.
News 5 found many kids taking advantage of Monday’s snow day at Cahoon Basin Trail in Bay Village.
Laura Ross made the rounds to different hills sledding with her children and their friends.
Alex Solt is new to the snow day drill with his son in kindergarten.
“We’re just trying to navigate how this all works. Having all these days off, the challenges that bring about with work and everything,” Solt said.
Last week, Independence Local Schools Superintendent Kelli Cogan spoke with News 5 about the decision that goes into school closings:
“There’s a requirement for the number of hours that students have to be in attendance for the year, and so we know how many hours we need to meet,” Cogan said.
Cogan says most of the time, it’s a game-day decision, and there’s a lot to consider beyond the temperatures.
Some of what’s considered are whether buses are housed inside, whether a district has more walkers than bus riders, and if there’s door-to-door bus service.
“Many times, it depends on your own city, how quick they are to get the roads plowed and have them ready for the next day. At the same time, you’re worried about your staff coming from all over the place,” Cogan said.
Tuesday will mark the sixth snow day of the school year for Mentor Schools. Because of that, students will get assignments from their teachers in the morning to complete at home.
The superintendent in Bay Village told parents that continued closures at the current pace could lead to remote learning or an extended school year to meet state requirements.
“I can understand for older kids, the curriculum they have to finish, they need to do,” Solt said.
“It’s one thing to have the school year extended, but it’s more than that. I just want my kids to be in school and to continue and not have such a big break. They just had their holiday break, and getting them back into the rhythm, then out of the rhythm, it's really disruptive,” Ross said.
