Should School Be Canceled for Bad Weather?

Students deserve weather cancellation days. Sure, most of us are accustomed to remote learning because of the pandemic, but that doesn’t mean it’s the answer to inclement weather. 

First of all, tech problems, such as a poor internet connection, make remote learning tough under any circumstances. Add in severe weather, which often causes power outages, and it can be downright impossible. It’s only fair that if some students can’t learn from home, school should be canceled for everyone.

Now, some people claim that kids just want a day off. Well, what’s wrong with that? The fact is, the school year is busy and stressful. A day off gives us a chance to recharge. We get to catch up on much-needed sleep and relax with a book or video game. On a snow day, we go sledding. If it’s hot, we have water fights. These unexpected breaks make us more focused when we get back to class. 

I’m not the only one who feels this way either. In a recent NBC News poll, 77 percent of respondents said snow days should not be replaced with remote learning. 

I understand that too many cancellations could mean makeup days in the summer. But a few cancellation days won’t make the summer break noticeably shorter. They will, however, make the school year much better.

For most of American history, all learning stopped when bad weather forced schools to close. My dad still talks about the epic snowball fights that he and his sisters had on snow days. (We’re from Wisconsin—it snows a lot here!) 

But things are different now. Because of the pandemic, we’re prepared to go to school virtually. Already, 39 percent of school districts have switched to remote learning on bad weather days, according to an EdWeek Research Center survey. Another 32 percent of districts are considering doing the same. 

I understand that for people like my dad, snow days were a joyful part of growing up. They can be for us too—even if we learn from home. Because we won’t have to commute to and from school, there will still be plenty of time for us to enjoy the day after classes end. 

What’s more, bad weather is increasingly common. Because of climate change, storms are becoming more severe and temperatures more erratic. If we get too many days off, we could fall behind. Plus, we’ll have to make up those days at the end of the year. I, for one, would rather learn from home than lose even one precious day of summer break. I am certain most students would agree.