Massarah Mikati is reporting for the Times Union school districts in New York can choose remote learning over taking a day off because of inclement weather this year, according to a note from the state Department of Education this week. The pandemic forced all districts statewide to move to online learning, beginning in March, and thanks to that innovation the occasional wished for snow day could become extinct. For the 2020-21 school year, the state presents remote learning on snow days as an option, giving districts the ability to opt in or out of the program on a trial basis. The education department will review the pilot next summer to determine whether to keep the option permanently. In its note to districts, the department said the pilot program is part of the department's "ongoing efforts to provide districts with flexibility in meeting local needs during the pandemic, ..." Read the full story in the Times Union.