Happens a lot in places with bad winters and a ton of snow days. When school resumes hold Saturday classes. No kids bother to show up, but counts as a school day on the calendar.
You could also open school with a skeleton staff, with kids getting doctor's noted for absences. I think sick for 3 days requires a doctor's note, anyway. Online learning portals (like Moodle) would be a viable alternative for making up missed work.
It's not that education isn't important, rather trying to find practical solutions to bad situations.