Snow days will look different this coming winter after the Tiverton School Committee's unanimous decision Wednesday, Oct. 14 to discontinue 'electronic learning days' in favor of old-fashioned snow days in which missed time is made up at the end of the year.

Electronic learning days, in which students are instructed remotely via computer, became common practice during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, school districts have continued to use them during days when poor weather makes it impossible for students to get to school. But teachers have argued that remote instruction does not give students the most in-depth learning experience compared to in-person learning.

Superintendent Chris Haskins recommended ending the practice, noting that school officials had been looking into the effectiveness of the practice for some time.

“I believe that returning to traditional school closures is in the best interest of students for a number of reasons,” Haskins said. Committee members voted 3-0 in support of his recommendation, with members Kimberly Paquette and Deborah Pallasch absent.

Haskins said his decision came down to several factors: He said the district does not have enough Chromebooks for all students, which creates issues for students who do not have access to computers at home. In addition, he said teachers have informally reported that distance learning is not effective, and parents have said that traditional snow days are more manageable.

“The student participation, the engagement, the quality of instruction are really difficult to replicate online, especially during an unexpected storm and especially for our youngest learners,” he said.