Minneapolis Public Schools is considering bringing back snow days in a new proposal to shorten the 2024-2025 school year.

MPS said in a Tuesday board meeting that putting together the school calendar is a complicated process. The district has received feedback that the school year is too long and there’s a desire to bring back snow days.

“I heard it from my kids. [This is] one of the times it’s great to be a parent-driven board because I heard it at home, ‘Why do we no longer have snow days?'” Ira Jourdain, a Minneapolis school board member, said.

Homework-free snow days may be on the horizon for Minneapolis Public Schools students and parents.

Under a new proposal presented to the board this week, students would not have to log into online classes on a severe weather day that cancels in-person classes.

The idea is coupled with making school days across the district 6 hours and 40 minutes. Most schools will have to add 10 more minutes to class each day.

Under state law, the district has to provide a certain number of instructional hours. School officials said this plan will give them more cushion to meet those requirements.

“I agree our school year is too long and shortening it would be a benefit to us,” Jourdain added.

As far as the next steps, the district would have to negotiate the terms with the teachers’ union. The school board will also need to approve the idea.