Some schools call snow days while others move to virtual learning ahead of winter storm

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Due to the winter storm on Wednesday and Thursday, some schools have called snow days ahead of time while others move to virtual learning modules.

The University of Missouri System and the MU campus announced Monday that it will move to remote operations and classes for Wednesday and Thursday.

Christian Basi with the University said they were able to get the news out 36 hours or so before the remote learning will take place. "This allowed our professors to determine how they were going to deliver their classes remotely for a couple days."

Basi says virtual learning is a tool the university will continue to use in the future to keep its education mission going without any disruption. "One of the bright things about the pandemic is that it provided us an opportunity to really understand technology better and really understand how well we can use it for virtual learning."

Basi also said with college courses, you are only seeing a professor once or twice a week. "That creates a significant disruption to the learning process to the, you know the groove of the education that we're trying to deliver in the classes."

Plus, some local districts are doing the same.

Fred Smith, Assistant Superintendent of Boonville Schools, says due to things like COVID-19, quarantine, and the flu the district has some students that are just getting back into the school routine since Christmas break. "These alternative ways assist us in the ability to continue instruction."

However, not all schools will not be moving away from traditional snow days.

Columbia Public Schools announced Tuesday afternoon that classes on Wednesday will be canceled due to weather.

The state says, "local education agency (LEA) will not be required to make up school hours that are lost or canceled due to exceptional or emergency circumstances (up to 36 hours) if the LEA implements an Alternative Methods of Instruction (AMI) Plan that is approved by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE)."

Michelle Baumstark with CPS said, "We are still in a pandemic. Those hours might be needed for a different purpose. You don’t get extra once you use them up and it applies to any building or the entire district. So if one building needs to close for a day due to illness, we now have 30 hours left for the whole district."

Also, Baumstark said traditional snow days are something the district feels is important, especially during a period of time when there are so many things continuously changing.

"When there is a snow day, we hope our scholars go out and build a snowman, go sledding, play with their friends in the snow and just be kids," Baumstark said.

Baumstark said the district calendar has accounted for the possibility of 6 snow days, so the cancellation on Wednesday will not change the last day of school. "We promised our school community that we would have a set last day of school. We are intent on keeping that promise."

Columbia College also announced that day campus classes on Wednesday are canceled and campus facilities will be closed, evening program classes will be held virtually, and staff members will work virtually.

The link provided will show a list of all closures across the area.