VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A lot of schools across Hampton Roads shut down for a snow day Friday as winter weather approaches Hampton Roads.
But students at Virginia Beach City Public Schools had to hop online, at home, for virtual learning.
The school division said on its official Facebook page: “We understand some may wish for a traditional 'snow day;' however, we simply do not have enough days remaining in the calendar to allow for one and still meet state education requirements.”
Superintendent Dr. Aaron Spence said it’s an "asynchronous learning day," meaning there’s no set time for instruction, just assignments that need to be completed.
“It’s kind of a new frontier and a great opportunity for us to continue to be able to learn when students can’t be in school," Spence said.
Photos: Snow in Hampton Roads and North Carolina, January 2022
So why isn’t there a snow day? The division had two extra days built into the school calendar for inclement weather but administrators decided to give teachers, staff, and students extra days off for the Thanksgiving holiday and winter break.
“We’re in a position with our calendar where we no longer have any extra days to meet those state education requirements, so we needed to make sure students were continuing to learn today," he said.
Parent, Becky Hay said because of the learning deficit a lot of students faced during the pandemic, she believes the district made a good choice in continuing instruction.
“I think that Virginia Beach actually made an appropriate choice. That may not be what everyone thinks," Hay said. “I think the asynchronous allows for flexibility so if you want your kiddo to go outside and play for a couple of hours, they’re able to do that.”
Spence also pointed out, most of the morning and afternoon were dry in Virginia Beach, as well.