LEE'S SUMMIT, Mo. — Due to inclement winter weather within the last week, school districts across the Kansas City metro have canceled several days of classes or have gone virtual.
Some districts offer care before or after school on inclement weather days to help ease the burden of families with working parents looking for daycare.
The Lee’s Summit R7 School District offers “Y Club” at four elementary school buildings on virtual learning days: Trailridge Elementary School, Richardson Elementary School, Underwood Elementary School and Longview Farm Elementary School.
Y Club, a partnership with the local YMCA, started 2 1/2 years ago and welcomes around 100 K-5 students district-wide on snow days.
“The need has just risen with more and more parents working,” said Kristi Fate, senior program director. “It just provides a service for those families that don’t have an option but to go into work every day.”
On virtual learning days, students finish schoolwork in the morning. Then, the afternoon is spent doing arts and crafts, STEAM activities or playing.
The program is led by YMCA personnel or former district employees, so parents can rest assured knowing there is no learning loss happening.
“We probably don’t have endless upon endless virtual days because I feel like we did experience some learning loss back during the pandemic," Fate said. "I don’t think that was a big secret or surprise. But I feel like these virtual days, where we are able to support the kids in their learning, it really does support the family."
Mother Ashlie McCoy dropped off her two kids at Trailridge Elementary School on Tuesday morning. She paid $60 for both to be looked after for a day, but she said the value of “peace of mind” is priceless.
“I have a special needs kiddo, and he gets care and learning in a way that he needs it, and they know him," she said. "They also know my daughter, and they keep her on task, where if she was home, it wouldn’t be the case."
McCoy said she and her fiancé both work, so being able to drop the kids off at 7 a.m. and pick them up at 6 p.m. is extremely helpful.
“You just bring ‘em, and they are ready,” McCoy said.
Lee’s Summit R7 is allowed five days of AMI — or virtual learning. Tuesday marked the district's fourth AMI day.
If the district reaches six, Lee's Summit said it will cancel classes and begin adding days to the end of the school year.
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