Imagine looking out your window to icy roads and a blanket of snow. The possibility for a snow day or delay would be the first thing on your mind. 

     This year, however, students will be expected to join the Google Meet classes and do as their teachers usually wish during regular classes on days where there are cancellations.

    Typically students would have four to five days on average off or altered, according to Penn-Trafford High School Principal Tony Aquilio. This year, students can expect to have several delays or in-person cancellations due to the weather, but how they will look will be different.          

     Unlike in years prior, this year students will be working from home on cancellations, allowing the district to stick to the 180 day schedule without having to go into breaks. Aquilio said that “There is an approval process that you have to go through that each school has to apply for to show that the school has the resources to support kids learning at home. We were able to approve that and the state approved us to have those types of days [not-in-school learning days].”

       Last year the state incorporated Flexible Instructional Days (FID). The school year for PA is required to have at least 180 instructional days so that is up to the school district to figure out how to fit that in, Aquilio said. In previous years, school would be extended into holiday breaks or summer vacations in order to fit the designated 180 days into the school year.

     The state has given all schools the permission to go online in the instance that they must without having them complete the FID application, though in the coming years they will have to complete the form to uphold that resource. 

     Matt Harris, the district’s superintendent, works closely with the township and road crews in order to determine the best decision for the days that are particularly snowy or cold. 

     “I will receive a call from the police officer in charge who coordinates with the Township Road Crew to make the recommendation based on the conditions of the road,” Harris said.

     “Basically, the difference between the delay and the cancelation is if they believe that the roads will be travelable in two hours after continual service of the roads and the amount of snow that continues to fall,” Harris added. 

     If the district goes fully online at any point in the year, Harris will still be required to call delays due to students living in the district that go to non-public schools that need transportation.

     Aquilio said, “Out of all the negative things, there are positive things. We are finding new ways to educate kids and utilize our time and snow days are a perfect example of how we may be able to educate kids while they’re staying safe at home.”

     Keep an eye out for emails during this winter season about schedule changes, delays, or cancellations. 

Editor in Chief, Hannah Hizer