RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) – Less than two weeks into December, students in Central Virginia are getting an early winter break as divisions grapple with weather-related closures.
Two rounds of snow and icy road conditions continue to impact local school divisions across Central Virginia, with many schools delaying classes and some cancelling them outright.
Hanover, Petersburg and Dinwiddie have missed four days of class due to the weather.
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A spokesperson for Hanover said the division is shifting two dates — Monday, Jan. 12 and Monday, Feb. 16 — to instructional days.
Richmond, Chesterfield and Henrico have more flexibility since students returned to classrooms Wednesday after just a delay.
A Henrico spokesperson said they still have ‘multiple days’ built in to their calendar.
Parents picking up their children from school said most didn’t mind the time off but expressed concern if closures continue.
“It’s gonna be later they might have to graduate later, to make up for the snow,” one parent said.
That is luckily not the case right now and Henrico Schools says asynchronous learning is one of many options they have.
Richmond Superintendent Jason Kamras says his concern is the long-term effects that come with snow days, citing research that shows absences spike the day after closures.
Kamras wrote in a newsletter that the default is to keep schools open because the space can keep kids warm and fed.
The superintendent said another consideration is the different neighborhoods in the city.
Areas like southside don’t always have sidewalks for students, making conditions unsafe even when other neighborhoods appear clear.
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