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Parent urges Harrison County Schools to reconsider 'ice pack' alternative instruction days
Summary
A parent told the Harrison County Schools Board of Education that 'ice pack' or alternative instruction days reduce meaningful learning time for elementary students and asked the board to consider eliminating them or adding instructional make-up days.
Violet Karen, a parent of an elementary school student, told the Harrison County Schools Board of Education on March 4 that alternative instruction or "ice pack" days provide only a small fraction of normal learning time for younger students and asked the board to consider eliminating those days or restoring the time with in-person make-up days.
"Unlike middle school and high school children, many of the elementary kids are achieving on those ice pack days an extremely small fraction of learning time compared to a normal instruction day," Karen said, adding that she would "be generous and say it's 30 minutes." She told the board she is willing to partner with district leaders and other parents to develop alternatives.
Karen said she raises the issue because she and other parents are worried about academic achievement in the county and believe preserving instructional time is important. "Academic achievement scores highlight the urgency," she said. "Cherishing every teachable moment." She also said she was not asking the board to eliminate support for teachers but to explore options that preserve meaningful class time.
A board member invited Karen to speak with staff after the meeting, saying the board typically does not engage during delegations but that she was "more than welcome to wait after [the] meeting" to follow up. Later in the meeting, the superintendent said the district had "no official" word yet on state waivers for snow days and that the state had held a meeting; the superintendent said the district would provide updates as they become available.
The parent noted elementary-specific challenges with at-home work: younger children "want to engage with their teachers and their classmates" and worksheets or independent laptop assignments often do not produce the same instruction as a classroom. She said she believed Harrison County has about 10 elementary schools and urged the board to consider alternatives that would prioritize in-person learning time.
Karen provided contact information and said she was open to providing feedback and working with the district to develop solutions.
The board did not take formal action on the topic during the meeting; Karen's remarks were recorded during the public delegation period and the meeting later continued to consent and business items.
