In 2018, Mike Redmond, the superintendent of Shakopee Public Schools in Minnesota, said his district started “connected learning days” that allowed for virtual instruction when the weather forced closures.

The decision to do away with snow days followed particularly grueling winters when the district had to cancel classes eight to 10 times a year, he said.

Taking away snow days seemed like a better solution than tacking on days at the end of the school year, which meant forcing students into hot classrooms and disrupting summer plans, Mr. Redmond said.

For rural districts, cutting out snow days also had an economic incentive, he said. In Minnesota, parents often count on their children help out on family farms when school lets out for the summer, he said.