WELLINGTON-NAPOLEON, Mo. — The Kansas City area is preparing for dangerous winter weather this week, which has already caused some schools to close Tuesday.
But each school district responds to winter weather differently.
The Wellington-Napoleon R-IX School District, which switched this academic year to a four-day school week, doesn’t use virtual learning days.
“I have two boys. They're thrilled every time they don't have school,” said Rheanna Todd, district parent and Route 24 Farm Store & Bakery owner.
Most kids like Todd's look forward to being snowed in.
“I feel like it's been a little bit easier for us because we are a full four-day school week,” she said. “We have had a lot of days off, and so it makes you concerned about how much time they're going to have to add on to the end of the school year.”
David Twente, vice president of the Wellington-Napoleon R-IX School Board, said not every family has internet connection since the area is so rural, which means Alternative Methods of Instruction (AMI) days are not viable for the district.
“I'm a 30-year retired educator. Education happens far better in the classroom than it does on a computer screen,” he said.
He said Wellington-Napoleon R-IX is considering several options, like returning to five-day weeks to make up for some of the snow days.
“We're going to look at every alternative we can to figure out how to make up days as easily as we can,” he said.
For Todd, as a parent and business owner, she said she’s sure to remind her boys that there’s still work to do — even on snow days.
“We live out in the country, so there's always chores to do,” she said.
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KSHB 41 reporter Elyse Schoenig covers the cities of Shawnee and Mission. She also focuses on issues surrounding the cost of health care, saving for retirement and personal debt. Share your story idea with Elyse.