Huntley School District 158 opts for snow day over remote learning

For months, McHenry County schools have navigated the transition from in-person schooling to remote learning and back again, but on Tuesday Huntley School District 158 chose instead to “recapture some of that old snow day spirit.”

School districts throughout the county recently returned to some form of in-person learning went all remote for Tuesday in light of a winter storm warning in effect until noon. Despite returning to hybrid learning just this week, District 158 opted to give students a “real day off,” Superintendent Scott Rowe wrote in a letter to parents Tuesday.

“We could shift our students and staff back into e-learning for the day, or we could shift back in time to the days before e-learning was an option; when a snow day wasn’t just the latest challenge for a district to deal with, but rather an unexpected [yet hoped for by many] opportunity to relax and enjoy,” Rowe said in the letter. “Whether that means some extra sleep, a day on the local sledding hill, or some prime catch-up time on your favorite daytime TV, let’s lean into this opportunity for a real day off.”

District 158 buses were scheduled to run Tuesday for the second time since October. After consulting with the township, village and county authorities, however, district officials determined that road conditions were too hazardous to safely transport students, Rowe wrote.

“While there is true disappointment for all of us in this unfortunate timing, I’m encouraging everyone to look at this as a chance to re-capture some of that old snow day spirit and family fun time,” Rowe wrote. “Let’s enjoy the day and each other, in a safe and socially distanced manner.”

The school district will make up for Tuesday’s snow day at the end of its academic year.

“This has been such a difficult situation no matter which angle you’re coming from,” Rowe said. “With a sizable snowstorm and the opportunity to let kids be kids, we thought it was maybe in their best interest to be kids and have an emotional break and go outside and play.”

Rowe does not expect any future “traditional snow days” for the remainder of the year, he wrote in his letter to parents. Courses scheduled on future inclement weather days likely will take place via e-learning for all students, as was the district’s plan before COVID-19.

“It’s just a matter of us picking and choosing what our kids need and when it’s the time to pull back and let our kids be kids,” Rowe said.