Suburban Chicago school district replacing snow days with E-learning days

Snow days will soon be a thing of the past in Naperville as Indian Prairie School District 204 board members voted Wednesday night to scrap snow days for E-learning days.

Starting this winter, sledding hills with children racing down them will only be seen during after-school hours and on weekends.

One parent told board members tonight, it's not fair to do away with snow days.

"Like who doesn't remember your parents waking you up and saying like there's a snow day!" said Laura Macleod.

Macleod was one of only two parents who showed up to the public hearing.

"And you know if the reason is just so the calendar stays the same and you know, is that really what's best for students?" said Macleod.

Others agree. They see E-learning days as a possible disservice to students who they believe need classroom time, even if that means extending school into the summer.

"I do worry about the actual content of their learning and how they're taking it in," said Julie Noesen, parent.

Rules on how the new E-learning program will work were explained to school board members during the meeting.

"When you change something that has been so traditional, it is difficult. It's difficult for me, I'm a 67-year-old man, but in order to move things forward, I think we need to move things forward," said Michael Raczak, District 204 board member.

Board members say E-learning days are the future. District 204 already provides students in grades 2 through 12 with chrome books so they can work from home in lieu of canceling school because of the weather.

"It's not going to be perfect at first, but I think it's really important for our district to get on the ground floor," said Raczak.