On February 12, Galena’s School District canceled school due to extreme weather conditions. A winter storm struck the area with six to eight inches of snow. Because of the slippery road conditions, the winter storm is expected to end by Thursday, February 13. To ensure the safety of students and staff, the district scheduled an E-learning day, allowing classes to continue remotely rather than canceling entirely.
E-learning days were primarily used during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many school districts have used e-learning days as a solution for snow days and other emergencies. It was a way for students to do learning activities and assignments for each class that would have originally taken place during a regular school day, at home. It ensures the safety of students and staff for any emergency news.
If classes are canceled and a regular snow day is decided, the last day of school will have to be delayed. It all depends on how many traditional snow days the district has per school year Superintendent Tim Vincent says, “I think today’s e-learning is a better environment for learning than bringing students back the day after Memorial Day. Since e-learning is not made up at the end of the year, it’s the value of what we are doing now vs what we were doing then.” Today, 98.5% of Galena’s students are engaged in E-learning. It can be effective for days like these, but it also takes a lot of time and effort to come up with this decision.
Mr. Vincent has been keeping track of the weather using NOAA.org. He looks at the overall weather for ice, snow, or cold. The decision is based on the effects on student drivers and buses. To stay alert, Mr. Vincent has a text thread with all of the local school districts to know what they are doing. He also stays close in contact with Mr. Wills, the transportation director.
Keeping the district safe is one of Mr. Vincent’s main priorities. In addition to talking to other schools and Mr. Wills, he talks with as many road commissioners to get their opinion on the condition of the country roads and side roads. It is usually information he needs on the day of any cancellation.
A school day’s decision is made up on how bad the conditions work out. Mr. Vincent says, “If I can’t notify everyone the night before, I’ll grab a coffee and drive the roads at about 4:30 a.m.” He also says that if the roads can be clear and safe by 8:30 a.m., there will be a delay. If he can give advance notice, the district will do e-learning. At last, if he can’t give notice the day before, school will be canceled.
According to Mr.Vincent, today’s cancellation was one of the easiest ones he had since he’s been here. “I am a bit obsessive in the winter over this weather so I check the hourly and 10-day forecast daily. It involves student and staff safety so it is incredibly important to get it right,” adds Mr.Vincent. The weather did not change whatsoever, making e-learning the best option to avoid unsafe road conditions.
As for now, the snowstorm will continue until tomorrow morning. Many schools in the tri-state area canceled as well. Mr. Vincent will continue to stay alert to the weather and keep everyone updated. Be aware of slippery roads and delays in emergency services. Stay warm!
