Conewago Valley School District could soon see the return of “good, old-fashioned snow days” – with no messy changes to the district calendar.
During the Conewago Valley school board’s study session on Monday evening, Superintendent Sharon Perry presented the board with the idea.
With recent changes made by the state regarding the number of days for education hours, Perry said the district learned it has “a lot” more instructional hours than is now required.
Given the surplus of hours above the minimum, Perry suggested that rather than using flexible instruction days (FID) during snow storms and having students complete work online, the district could simply let students have the day off.
In addition to offering a fun day off for students, Perry said it could help make instruction more fair.
“It’s something I did want to have a conversation with the board, your comfort level with that, because there has been a lot of feedback from families and caregivers relative to this FID days, that many do not want to interact with the iPad or the computer, or they don’t have access, so we do create inequities across our district,” Perry said. “In fact, last year there was a day when half of our district lost their power and the other half had their power, and that sometimes happens, so we had teachers that weren’t able to get on to meet with their students, or we had the inability for students to be able to access it.”
Perry said true snow days do more than give students a mini-vacation.
“I think that it would be a weight off of our faculty, our staff, our administration and our families, and it does provide those necessary breaks, those brain breaks for our children,” Perry said.
In a typical school year, the district experiences about two or three snow days.
“So it is my recommendation that we consider going back to good, old-fashioned snow days, and not make those days up,” Perry said.
In the past, the district would have to hold snow makeup days, but with the extra instructional hours, snow makeup days would be unnecessary. The backup flexible instruction days offer even more wiggle room if there are a large number of days with inclement weather or other emergencies.
The board did not vote on the issue as this was a study session, but the board appeared receptive to the idea.
The conversation sparked a discussion about the use of wifi hotspots in the district.
Despite the potential to use fewer, or no, flexible instruction days, the district will need to hold onto some of its hotspots, but it could still trim costs by reducing unnecessary units.
While students may not need hotspots at home as frequently due to inclement weather if the board approves having snow days off rather than moving classes online, some students will need to use them if they have no other home internet access, according to Nick Zepp, the director of technology.
Other hotspots will be kept as a buffer in case there is a higher-than-average student need, and additional units will be distributed to each building in case of internet or power failure. Zepp said in the event that staff need to use the automated online system to call families to pick up students, staff can use laptops and a hotspot even if the power fails.
The district will likely hold onto about 30 hotspots in total, according to Zepp.
Still, the district will likely be able to return surplus hotspots to save money.
“There is more in play than are being utilized, so I’m already working on cutting that back,” Zepp said. “We are going to keep some available for families who do not have access to internet at home, and that would just be for regular homework, so we can help assist so those students don’t get behind. But we are going to cut that back significantly.”
Standardized testing will be online
In addition to the change to the mandatory minimum instruction hours, Dr. Brad Sterner, assistant superintendent, said the district is preparing for a state-mandated shift to online testing.
While online standardized testing is not new, Sterner said most Conewago Valley students take their tests using a paper exam.
Starting in 2025-26, all school districts will be required to deliver PSSA and Keystone tests online only.
Conewago Valley will begin the switch a year early, with both tests being delivered online this year.
“We have all of the equipment that we need,” Sterner said. “We have all of the support that we need within the district with our infrastructure, as well. For us, there is no sense in delaying. Some school districts have looked at certain grades to start this year online and the rest not, but we strongly feel that within our district we should do it with all of our grade levels so that we’re comparing them together.”
Sterner said the first online-only testing will begin with the winter Keystone exams, followed by PSSAs in the spring.
Sterner said district leadership will work to ensure students know how to use the online platform before the testing dates.
Other business
The board discussed the renewal of a lease with The Brethren Home Community for property used for the York Adams Academy. The total cost of the lease is $2,187, but is divided among the districts according to their percentage of the enrollment numbers each year, district representatives clarified during the meeting.
The board also reviewed donations to the district worth $17,750, including aluminum hangers and benches valued at $6,800 from Wilke Enginuity, Inc. for the softball dugouts and 73 5-gallon buckets of paint valued at $10,950 from Giant Foods Corporation for the high school theater program, according to the meeting agenda.
On Monday, Oct. 14, the board will hold several meetings in a row at Conewago Township Elementary.
A brief tour of the school will be held at 6 p.m., followed by a presentation about the renovation project by Crabtree, Rohrbaugh & Associates at 6:30 p.m. Starting at about 7 p.m., the board hold an executive session, a study session and, lastly, a regular board meeting.
The meetings will be held in the gymnasium, located in the kindergarten wing plaza of Conewago Township Elementary School.
Imari Scarbrough is a freelance journalist. She was a staff newspaper reporter for five years before becoming a freelancer in 2017. She has written on crime, environmental issues, severe weather events, local and regional government and more.
You can visit her website at ImariJournal.com.