Whitefish schools consider remote learning option for snow days

Some members of the Whitefish School Board have cold feet about conducting remote learning when schools are closed for snowy weather.

Superintendent Dave Means presented a draft inclement weather remote learning plan to trustees at the board’s regular meeting Feb. 13. Under the proposed plan, remote learning days would be considered equivalent to educational time in the classroom, and therefore would not require makeup days to account for lost instructional minutes. 

Means said the remote learning days would be an option to take the place of snow days. 

Whitefish classes were canceled twice in January due to frigid temperatures and winter weather. Instead of making up these days later in the year, students would continue their education at home.

Some trustees expressed concerns that remote learning days will not provide an adequate alternative to in-person education. Trustee Quincy Bennetts argued that remote learning days benefit the school district more than the students.

“I think we’ve all lived through the oxymoron of remote learning,” Bennetts said. “It helps us meet our minutes and it helps us meet our days, but it does not count as a learning day.” 

Board chair Darcy Shellinger said remote learning days may create inconsistencies for students.

“The other problem is you have some kids that are going to do the work and some that aren’t, and so the day they come back to school you have to redo the work with one group and the other group has nothing to do,” Shellinger said. “It’s definitely not an appealing option.”

Means explained that he has heard both positive and negative feedback from parents and teachers regarding the plan.

“Some people are saying this is not really about students, but we’ve heard the exact opposite from some parents saying, ‘Why didn’t you do a remote learning day? My child sat at home all day.’ We’ve had staff ask why can’t you do a remote learning day? So we get all kinds of feedback about different options,” Means said.

He reiterated that remote learning days are only intended to be one tool for handling snow days. He anticipates the remote learning option would rarely be used because it is challenging to predict the weather in Northwest Montana, and advance warning would be necessary for implementing the plan.

Means pointed to the arctic outbreak in January as one such example in which remote learning could have been imposed. Kalispell, Columbia Falls, Bigfork and Evergreen have all conducted remote learning days this year.

AT THE same meeting, the board voted unanimously to extend Means’ contract through 2027. 

The three-year contract extension will run from July. 1, 2024 through June. 30, 2027. Means’ annual salary will be $156,999, with a $2,000 annual retention incentive included. 

Trustee Katie Clarke expressed the sentiments of the board when she motioned to approve the extension. 

“We’re very fortunate to have this option in front of us,” she said.

Means signed a three-year contract in 2021 after serving one year as interim superintendent. His original contract carried a $140,000 annual salary.

Means previously served 16 years as the director of education services for the school district.

Also on Feb. 13,  the board unanimously voted to conduct the upcoming school election by mail on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. 

On the ballot are two trustee positions, as well as levies for the elementary and high schools. The specific levy amounts will be decided upon and presented at the next school board business meeting.

Unlike in the past, the election will be held by mail due to low voter turnout at polling places in previous elections.

Reporter Elsa Ericksen can be reached at eericksen@dailyinterlake.com.