The Cedar Rapids Community School District will pilot home-based learning days beginning Jan. 20, the district said on its Future Ready Today podcast, as an alternative to adding makeup days at the end of the school year when weather forces cancellations. Isabelle, a podcast host, said, "Starting January 20, CRCSD will pilot a new option, home based learning days."

How it will work: the district described a "noon rule" under which a home-based learning day will only be used if classes are canceled by 12:00 p.m. the day before the event so staff and families have time to prepare; last-minute morning cancellations will remain traditional snow days. The district also said it will not schedule two home-based learning days in a row; if the weather persists, the second day will revert to a traditional snow day.

Support and expectations: teachers will be available online from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on home-based learning days. Expected instructional time varies by level: Pre-K—printed packet, about 30–45 minutes; kindergarten through fifth grade—printed packet, about 60–90 minutes, no device required; middle school—Google Classroom or printed packet, about 90–120 minutes; high school—online/Google Classroom or printed packet, 120+ minutes. The district said participation will be verified through Google Forms, email or phone calls and that there will be no penalties if a student cannot complete work because of home factors.

What the podcast did not provide: the episode did not specify how many home-based days a student may be required to complete per year under the pilot, whether the pilot will apply to all schools uniformly, or how the district will evaluate the pilot's effectiveness. The district asked families to prepare but emphasized flexibility for homes with limited resources.