What's the cost of taking a 'traditional snow day'?

The Middle Country school district was among many on Long Island that declared a traditional snow day, with no remote instruction. The district’s schools were closed for midwinter break last week so teachers had no time to prepare remote lessons, and many students might not have their district-issued Chromebooks at home, said Roberta Gerold, superintendent of the Centereach-based Middle Country school district, which has more than 9,000 students.

The district’s calendar allows schools to be closed for three days due to inclement weather and still deliver the state-mandated 180 instructional days, she said. Monday was the second snow day of the academic year, she said. Plus, she said, when the district first considered remote school on snow days, parents resisted, saying “kids need to have the fun of a snow day.”

The district might need to reconsider its options if the region continues to experience such heavy storms, she said. The district could lose more than $300,000 a day in state aid if it fails to deliver 180 school days and does not get a waiver, she said.

“There's the emotional attachment to a snow day, but there's also the need to continue instruction,” she said. "Given climate change, we might need to revisit that in the future."

By Maura McDermott

maura.mcdermott@newsday.commauramcdermott

Maura McDermott covers education. Since joining Newsday in 2012, she also has worked on the investigations team and covered real estate and the business of health care.