[Updated] The West Hartford Public Schools district announced the plans on Wednesday afternoon for schools to be closed Thursday, but should operate as usual on Friday before transitioning to remote learning next week and then a holiday break for the remainder of the year.

By Ronni Newton

The West Hartford Public Schools administration announced Wednesday afternoon that due to the impending snowstorm, all schools – including the remote learning experience – as well as offices, will be closed on Thursday, Dec. 17.

Superintendent of Schools Tom Moore said Thursday afternoon that he expects all schools to operate in their normal mode on Friday, Dec. 18 – with elementary schools engaged in full in-person learning, secondary schools in hybrid mode, and the remote learning experience operating on its regular schedule.

At its meeting on Nov. 17, 2020, the West Hartford Board of Education voted on the district’s snow day police for the 2020-2021 academic year, and decided that the first two days that schools would need to close for weather-related purposes would count as true “snow days,” which will be made up at the end of the year.

The intent is for any additional snow days beyond the two to be treated as remote learning days by all students, including students typically engaged in in-person or hybrid learning.

The state Board of Education in October approved a plan to allow remote learning days to substitute for snow days during this academic year, but West Hartford opted for a compromise plan.

Moore announced earlier in December that all schools will move to remote learning for the three days leading up to the holiday break. Friday, Dec. 18, therefore, will be the last day this calendar year that students will be in the buildings.

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