Whenever there is a big snow storm like Eastern Iowa got this week, I remember back to when I was a kid, and what it was like waiting for the news on whether your school would be in session. I'd get up early like normal, and sit downstairs with my dad by the radio, listening for the next they read the school announcements. Going to Anamosa Public Schools, I knew I wouldn't have to wait long. Hearing that news was like winning the lottery. No school! But today, things are a bit different.

The days of waiting by the radio are over thanks to text alerts to our phones and the internet. And for some school districts gone are typical snow days. You can thank the world of virtual learning for that. Yes, the same virtual learning developed to keep our kids safe at home when COVID didn't allow them to attend in person is now being used on snow days in some districts so kids don't lose a day of learning. Now as a parent of three kids, this sounds great. But for a child waiting on a snow day this is a nightmare! We got 10 inches of snow and I still have to go to class?

Several districts had virtual learning days on Tuesday including Linn Mar and Iowa City schools. But according to CBS2, they are still in the minority. Out of the over 50 school districts that report closings to CBS2, only 5 went with virtual learning days. The rest opted for a traditional snow day. Xavier High School Principal Angela Olson told CBS2 that the decision to not have class comes from the number of snow days that they are allowed each year from the Iowa Department of Education. She said once the district runs out of those snow days, then they too would go to virtual learning.

2021. The year when not even a blizzard can get you out of school. Thanks technology!

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