January 24, 2024
Dear RCS School Community:
Each year the district incorporates several emergency closing days into our Board approved annual academic calendar. Schools are required to be in session a minimum of 180 days with 900 hours of instruction for grades K-6 and 990 hours for grades 7-12. If Schools fail to meet the minimum required days and/or hours of instruction, a portion of their State Aid can be withheld.
Traditionally once a district has used up all of its emergency closing days those instructional days are made up by taking back previously scheduled vacation days. Last year the State Education Department approved the use of “Remote Snow Days” as an option for emergency closing days.
Family vacations and holiday gatherings with family and friends can be critically important in the social and emotional development of children. In an effort to preserve this important family time the district has taken steps to develop a “Remote Snow Day '' instructional plan that will be implemented in the event we use up all of our emergency closing days for the remainder of 2023-24 school year.
While nothing can replace the quality of in-person learning that occurs each day in school, there is value in continuing to provide a certain level of synchronous and asynchronous educational activities through remote instruction.
As of today, January 24th, we have used five (5) of our eight (8) emergency closing days. The purpose of this communication is to share in advance our intentions should we use up all of our emergency closing days.
Here is a link (https://5il.co/2d27c) to some additional information regarding remote instruction along with the schedule and expectations for both staff and students during these “remote snow days”.
Educationally yours,
John Evans, Superintendent