Technology Helping To End Traditional Snow Days In Some Local Schools

By Alexandria Hoff

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., (CBS) -- For most school students it's a little unplanned vacation day.

But for some area children snow days are becoming a thing of the past.

Some local districts are trying to weather the storm when it comes to all those make up days.

Though the leaves are barely brown students at Holy Rosary Regional Catholic School in Plymouth Meeting are busy downloading an app that will get them through winter.

"We can see the first six children that get on which is hilarious so I say to them we are going to be able to see you so clean up your bedrooms," said school principal Lisa Hoban.

They haven't had a traditional snow day in two years.

"We downloaded the GoToMeeting app for each of the teachers they signed up and they could then bring in 25 students into a class virtually so the first year we did it, it was phenomenal," said Hoban.

Last year the Pennsylvania Department of Education made it so public schools too could explore quote "flexible instructional days" aka cyber snow days.

Only 13 districts were approved to do this through 2015, including Avon Grove and Unionville-Chadds Ford school districts in Chester County.

The dozens of other interested districts must apply by November in order to implement their cyber curriculum in place of a day off this winter.

But one big roadblock -- helping families who can't connect.

The Department says quote, "comparable options must be made available to students and teachers unable to access the resources due to lack of power, technology, or connectivity."

"So we gave our sixth to eighth graders all their own iPads so they all have access and that's the only way you can really get away with doing this," said Hoban.

Keep in mind for state funded schools requirements can be a bit more strict.

Hoban adds her students are happy to swap hot chocolate for an extra day on the beach come June.