Written by: Ryan Abrams, Watauga County
To the Watauga County Board of Education and Superintendent,
I hope this letter finds you well.
I have lived in Watauga County for nearly fifty years. I grew up here, attended Hardin Park and Watauga High School, and have seen more winters in these mountains than most. Watauga High School was established in 1965, and in all the years since, mountain weather has been a constant part of our community life. When I was a student, I remember helping bus drivers put chains on the tires so we could make it home. We adapted, we were careful, but we still went.
The truth is, the weather in these mountains has not gotten worse—if anything, it snows less now than it once did. Yet, despite this, Watauga County Schools now cancel or move to remote learning more often than ever before. Over the decades, what used to be a common-sense approach to dealing with mountain weather has turned into an overly cautious, reactionary policy. What once required grit and reason has become a pattern of shutting down at the first sign of inconvenience.
As someone who has lived here for nearly five decades, I believe my perspective and experience offer valuable insight into how this county has historically handled winter weather. The decision-making process today seems disconnected from that tradition of practicality and resilience. These choices should be made logically, with clear and codified reasoning—not based on the worst-case scenario or fear of what might happen. Unfortunately, each year the problem seems to be getting worse, not better.
Over the past decade, it has become increasingly common for schools to close—or shift to remote learning—for even minor weather concerns such as light snowfall, heavy rain, or cold morning temperatures. Since the pandemic, this trend seems to have accelerated, with remote learning days often being called preemptively based solely on forecasts rather than actual unsafe conditions. While I fully understand that student safety must always come first, it increasingly appears that the district is relying on the availability of remote learning as justification for closing schools, rather than using it only when truly necessary.
This practice has created significant hardship for working parents, many of whom must scramble to adjust work schedules or secure last-minute childcare—often for weather events that never materialize. I can assure you that I am not alone in feeling this way. Many parents in Watauga County share this frustration and feel our voices are not being heard. We recognize that technology provides flexibility, but it should be used responsibly—not as a substitute for in-person instruction simply because it is available.
Furthermore, studies consistently show that remote learning is not equivalent to in-person classroom instruction. Students do not learn, engage, or develop at the same level through a screen. For example, a study by the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University found that districts that remained remote for most of the 2020–21 school year—particularly high-poverty districts—lost roughly half a year’s worth of typical academic growth compared to those that returned to in-person instruction sooner. Similarly, research from the Brookings Institution confirmed that remote and hybrid instruction contributed significantly to long-term learning loss, particularly in math and reading.
Additionally, as the parent of a child with special needs, I must emphasize that remote days are particularly harmful in our case. Children with special needs—including those on the autism spectrum—often require direct, in-person, hands-on instruction, physical cues, specialized supports, and structured routines. One study of students with special educational needs found that eight out of nine parents reported negative experiences with remote learning, citing difficulty maintaining routines, increased behavioral issues, and ineffective educational assistance when delivered at home rather than in the classroom. Furthermore, a review article on children with neurodevelopmental disorders (such as autism, ADHD, and intellectual disabilities) concluded that remote learning was “particularly challenging” for these groups.
“For a child who has difficulty with social communication … interacting with someone on a screen removes many of the cues—how someone holds or moves their body … that can make a huge difference.” — UCLA Health
These findings mean that for my child (and many others like them), remote learning days are effectively a waste of time and energy. They are not receiving the meaningful support and interaction they require, and their academic and developmental progress suffers as a result.
In practical terms, every unnecessary remote learning day is not simply “a day off,” but a setback in our children’s academic careers. Missing in-person instruction places them at a disadvantage, and remote learning does not make up for that lost time. The structure, social interaction, and teacher engagement that happen in the classroom simply cannot be replicated through virtual means.
In addition to these educational concerns, there appears to be an apparent inconsistency in how closure decisions are made. Some days with minimal or forecasted precipitation lead to remote learning, while other days with similar or even worse conditions proceed as normal. This inconsistency creates confusion and frustration for families and undermines confidence in the district’s decision-making process.
I also want to raise a question that many parents have quietly wondered: Is this pattern of preemptive closures related to liability concerns? If the county is fearful of potential accidents or legal responsibility should a bus or student encounter unsafe conditions, that is understandable—but it also appears that the Board has adopted a worst-case-scenario mindset when making these decisions. While it is commendable to err on the side of caution, being overly cautious has become detrimental to our students, our families, and the broader community. There must be a middle ground between ensuring safety and maintaining a functional, dependable school schedule.
I respectfully ask the Board and Administration to:
1. Reevaluate the criteria used for weather-related closures and remote learning days, ensuring that in-person instruction remains the default unless conditions clearly and demonstrably warrant otherwise.
2. Provide transparency regarding how these decisions are made—including what weather data, on-site assessments, or safety thresholds are used.
3. Acknowledge the broader impact on families, local businesses, and student learning outcomes when schools close unnecessarily.
4. Address any underlying liability concerns by reviewing policies to ensure they promote safety without unnecessarily disrupting education.
5. Commit to minimizing unnecessary remote learning days, and when closures are unavoidable, ensure that learning losses are addressed through in-person reinforcement or make-up days.
Parents, students, and employers alike would greatly appreciate a more balanced approach—one that genuinely weighs safety, practicality, educational quality, and the ripple effect on working families.
Thank you for your time, and for the continued effort you put into educating and protecting our children. I look forward to hearing how the district plans to address these concerns, restore confidence in the decision-making process around weather-related closures, and ensure that our children’s education remains both safe and consistent.