Laconia board revises inclement-weather plan, removes remote learning option
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Summary
The board reviewed a revised inclement-weather plan that reserves the first snow day for staff Vector mandatory training (students off), removes the remote-learning option, and relies on professional-development choices for subsequent closure days. Staff noted the district remains above state instructional-hour minimums.
The Laconia School Board reviewed and discussed a revised inclement-weather plan Oct. 7 that reallocates how closure days are used and removes the student remote‑learning option.
Under the proposed plan, the district will use the first inclement-weather day for mandatory staff Vector online training while students have the day off. The second day would be a full no‑school day for staff and students. Day three and any subsequent closure days would be professional-development days for staff using a choice board aligned to the district strategic plan. Staff confirmed there will be no remote instruction for students as part of the revised plan.
Staff said the change responds to inconsistent student participation in prior "blizzard bag" assignments and the administrative burden of ensuring equitable remote engagement across elementary grades. The district explained that elementary participation in blizzard bags had varied widely and that, at the secondary level, classroom devices and school‑provided calculators mitigate some instructional losses.
District staff also cited state-required instructional hours under ED 306: the high school minimum is 990 hours and middle school 945 hours. Staff reported current schedules provide a buffer (the high school schedule totals about 1,050 hours under current block minutes), giving the district some cushion against snow days but noting multiple closures could require schedule adjustments or a hardship request to the state.
Board members asked for clarification on which days would be remote in prior years and how the change affects families; staff replied that the new approach is intended to be clearer for families and to reduce inconsistent student expectations during weather closures.