New Illinois law could make snow days a thing of the past

Online courses could keep students engaged in their current material even when schools are closed for inclement weather.

Gov. Bruce Rauner signed a bill into law on July 30 that will establish a pilot program aimed at utilizing technology to make school snow days obsolete.

House Bill 2781 establishes a three-year pilot program under which up to three school districts can develop e-learning programs to be implemented on schools’ emergency days.

Instead of having de facto vacation days that need to be tacked on to the end of the school year anyway – often after students have completed exams and have no curriculum left – online courses could keep students engaged in their current material even when school facilities are closed for inclement weather.

Schools in other northern states, such as Minnesota and Ohio, have already begun the push toward virtual school days on what would otherwise be snow days.

This pilot program will generate information on the best strategies for implementing online learning programs and help Illinois’ students stay on track with their studies when it matters – not after the school year has effectively ended.

State Sen. Michael Connelly, R-Wheaton, and state Rep. Mike Fortner, R-Springfield, sponsored the bill; Illinois Policy Action supported the measure.