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NJ Schools: Snow Days Mean More School Days
23 Feb
Summary
- New Jersey law mandates in-person attendance for snow days.
- Remote learning is only allowed during declared emergencies.
- Bills to allow remote snow days have failed to pass.
New Jersey faces a significant storm with forecasts predicting over a foot of snow and high winds, leading to widespread school closures. However, state law dictates that snow days must be full days off, not remote learning opportunities. This rule requires students to be in classrooms for the minimum 180 instructional days, meaning remote learning for inclement weather does not count.
While an exception allows remote learning during declared states of emergency lasting more than three consecutive days, this has not been invoked for the current storm. Legislative efforts to allow up to three days of remote instruction for weather-related closures have repeatedly failed to pass since at least 2015. Educators and administrators have expressed frustration that remote learning options for such circumstances have not been adopted, especially post-pandemic.
This contrasts with other states like New York City, which has more flexibility. While the current storm is expected to cause significant disruptions, New Jersey schools remain bound by their stringent snow day regulations. The state Department of Education noted that any changes to the current statute would require legislative action.
