Why NJ Opted For Snow Day This Week, Not Remote Learning

NEW JERSEY — As a fierce winter storm dropped more than 13 inches of snow on parts of New Jersey earlier this week, several school districts across the state canceled classes, giving students, teachers, and staff a snow day at home.

During the pandemic, school districts turned to virtual learning as an alternative to in-person classes. As a result, New Jersey students, teachers and parents are no strangers to remote instruction.

So, this begs the question: Why didn't school districts just opt for a virtual learning day on Tuesday rather than cancel classes altogether?

The answer: New Jersey state law.

While opting for a virtual learning day is not prohibited under New Jersey state law, it is disincentivized because of a requirement that students physically attend school 180 days per year.

According to the New Jersey Administrative Code 6A - Chapter 32, remote learning only counts toward the 180-day requirement when schools are closed "for more than three consecutive school days due to a declared state of emergency, a declared public health emergency, or a directive by the appropriate health agency or officer to institute a public health-related closure."

At least one New Jersey school district — Pascack Valley Regional High School District in Bergen County — tried to use virtual learning on a school day before, NJ Spotlight News reported, but the state did not allow it to count toward the 180-day requirement.

Barry Bachenheimer, the assistant superintendent of Pascack Valley, also told NJ Spotlight News that the mental health benefits of snow days and in-person learning often prompt districts to turn to snow days whenever possible.

However, if allowing remote learning to count toward the 180-day requirement on school days could keep districts from making up days during spring break or tacking them onto the end of the school year, Bachenheimer told NJ Spotlight News it could be worth it.

"Unless the state suddenly changes their mind, there’s no tangible benefit for (districts) as far as recovering days," Bachenheimer said.