Cloquet snow days have dwindled

On the bright side, Cloquet students got two extra days for Thanksgiving break due to the weather. On the not-so-bright side, all future snow days will likely have to be made up because the district has only two extra days built into the schedule.

Cloquet superintendent Michael Cary doubted that schools will get another reprieve from the state legislature like they did last year, when legislators declared that districts didn’t have to meet the minimum number of days after nearly all the schools in the state were canceled for at least three days due to extreme cold.

“But we still have a lot of winter left, so who knows,” Cary said.

District officials and teachers are looking into creating “e-learning days,” which are exactly what they sound like: school via electronic learning, so teachers could make assignments or even teach via the internet even if the schools are closed. Cary said the state allows for up to five days a year that could be e-learning days, but they have to meet certain requirements.

E-learning days are an option for each school district. State law requires districts that adopt e-learning days to notify parents and students at least two hours before the start of the school day. Tachers would be required to be available by phone or internet throughout the day.

Schools have to provide resources for students without internet access, or without enough internet devices in the home.

“We held our first meeting with members of teacher groups, but we’re still in the very beginning stages of exploring this,” Cary said. There is only a slight chance any e-learning days could be implemented this school year.

Churchill kids got an extra day off on Tuesday due to an issue with snow clearance at the school, according to Cary.

“We were promised the snow would be removed in time to start school on Dec. 3, and it was not,” said Cary. He explained that the district contracts with various contractors to do major snow removal in school district parking lots and other larger areas, while maintenance staff handle some of the smaller portions like sidewalks and doorways.

The superintendent explained that when custodians got to the Churchill building early Tuesday and realized Snowmen, Inc. had not been there, they contacted the principal, superintendent and lead custodian with the news, but there wasn’t enough time to find someone else to clear the snow.

Cary said deciding when to cancel school is a process. He is usually in communication with the lead district custodian about conditions around campus, along with city and county road crews to determine if roads will be safely passable. He also keeps in touch with other superintendents in the region.

“Really, I’m trying to look at, can we get kids to school safely and can we get them home safely, once they’re there,” he said.