We used to call them “snow days” when school was called off due to heavy snow, severely cold temperatures or other things that made it difficult or unsafe for kids to attend classes in person.
Now, the Illinois State Board of Education calls them “emergency days.” Each school district is allowed up to five on its calendar with the caveat that as many as needed may be used for what is called e-learning, when students are taught online at home.
The Wethersfield Board of Education approved a resolution at its August meeting renewing its E-Learning Plan for another three years.
Superintendent Kurtis Smyth told The Kewanee Voice that, according to the district’s principals, Wethersfield utilized four of its five e-learning days last year due to weather conditions — two in January and two in March.
Since a law was passed in 2019, Illinois school districts wishing to utilize e-learning, or learning remotely, must adopt a formal plan which can be renewed every three years.
Boards must hold a public hearing before renewing the plan, as was done at Wethersfield’s meeting. Approval and verification must also be received from the Regional Office of Education. Districts must provide at least five clock hours of electronic instruction or student participation per day, according to the Illinois School Code.
Plans must also ensure open access for all students, including special education, and conduct active monitoring of participation.
Unlike “snow,” or emergency days, districts do not have to make them up by extending the 176-day school year since students are technically “in school.”
When Gov. JB Pritzker signed the bill creating the E-Learning Program into law in June of 2019, the COVID pandemic was months away, When the lockdown went into effect in March of 2020, most of Illinois’ 852 school districts had not yet established or approved their e-learning plans.
The pandemic forced them to quickly implement the existing framework to allow students to learn from home, a system that continued until the end of the lockdown when students could return to in-school learning,
In other matters, parent Teresa David expressed concerns and frustration to board members and administration with inter-school communication giving examples of difficulties she has had in learning about schedule changes and upcoming activities.
Supt. Smyth said he will meet with her to discuss ways the district can improve its communication networks. Mrs. David offered to help improve the current system in any way she could.
The board approved a junior high Annawan-Wethersfield Titans cross country program to start this fall. The high school cross country program has been co-opted with Annawan since its inception 19 years ago.
Kewanee City Councilman and former Wethersfield school board member Tyrone Baker attended the meeting and welcomed Smyth as the new superintendent. Smyth mentioned he would be attending a city council meeting soon.
The district’s FY2027 budget is now available for public inspection in the unit office in the Blish Building during school hours. A public hearing on the budget will be held at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 17, in the board room in the high school.
