Central Valley. Dec. 17 forecast ultimately changes M-W’s plan to provide remote instruction

The Monroe-Woodbury School District’s plan to hold remote instruction during the Dec. 17 Nor’easter fizzled out like a really bad weather forecast, though that hasn’t seemed to change the plan to hold classes remotely during inclement weather days when possible.

“The school district has four snow days built into the student calendar,” Superintendent Elsie Rodriguez wrote in a Dec. 15 email to families, two days ahead of the storm which had forecasted snowfall amounts ranging from one to two feet. “We will be utilizing traditional snow days only when hybrid, in-person instruction is underway. If all four designated snow days are used, the school district will revert to fully remote instruction on inclement weather days. If any days remain unused, the district will create a plan for giving the days back to students.”

That note seemed to upset parents who expressed their irritation on Facebook, wondering why a traditional snow day wasn’t being considered. Their gripe was that a traditional snow day provided some sense of normalcy in a pandemic world where nothing was normal.

On Facebook, some parents suggested they’d not send their kids to school, even if instruction was remote, to prove a point. Their fury didn’t disappear late Wednesday morning, when the forecast for up to two feet of snow was pretty much assured. Other school districts, like Warwick Valley, had already announced closings even though classes were remote, citing expected unsafe conditions and the potential for widespread power and internet service outages.

But about 4 p.m. on Wednesday, Monroe-Woodbury families received voice and text messages noting the district would not hold classes for those same reasons. On its own Facebook page, the district even invited parents to submit photos of their children enjoying playing in the snow.

With this use of this snow day, the district has three remaining days available to use for possible inclement weather/emergency closings.