Dumb school closures for snow... and non closures.

[Big Cuddly Bear]

So, our school has been closed twice this year for snow. The snows were fairly minor. And the streets were clean. Kids could have easily gone to school.

Today, the roads are a mess, and it is snowing like a beast, and there is already ~ 5" of snow, and they don't close the schools on the worst snow day of the year so far.


Go figure.

 

[Miniefan]

Yeah, I find things like this a bit ridiculous. I just moved from Florida to Virginia, so snow is something really new to us the only thing school has been closed for back in Fl is a hurricane.

We have had 3 snow days already, and one day the school started 2 hours late. Im really glad I haven't gotten a job yet, because I do not know what I would have done on these days. I hate the way our school district is. This week is the DUMBEST week ever. The Highschoolers have exams so this is the schedule- Monday was supposed to be a holiday, but since the snow days, they had to go, Tues-Thurs they have half days and Friday is a day off school, good grief.

Kim

 

[golfgal]

My junior year in high school we got a new superintendent, from Texas. The weather forecast called for a huge amount of snow one day (over a foot) but those of us that had lived in MN long enough knew that it may or may not happen depending on the actual track of the storm. The superintendent called off school, we didn't get a single flake of snow . Well he "learned" his lesson and at the next snow fall, which started in the middle of the night and by bus time we already had about 8" of heavy, wet snow, he didn't cancel school. About 50 kids made it to school, 2 buses had minor accidents, after that many of the bus drivers turned around and brought kids home. It was horrible, even for MN. His contract was not renewed (because of that and other things).

 

[DizBelle]

My junior year in high school we got a new superintendent, from Texas. The weather forecast called for a huge amount of snow one day (over a foot) but those of us that had lived in MN long enough knew that it may or may not happen depending on the actual track of the storm. The superintendent called off school, we didn't get a single flake of snow . Well he "learned" his lesson and at the next snow fall, which started in the middle of the night and by bus time we already had about 8" of heavy, wet snow, he didn't cancel school. About 50 kids made it to school, 2 buses had minor accidents, after that many of the bus drivers turned around and brought kids home. It was horrible, even for MN. His contract was not renewed (because of that and other things).

Didn't he have anybody on his staff with experience in Minnesota weather to advise him when it came to weather? Or did he just not listen to them?

 

[MiniGirl]

Well, we're in Florida, so we don't have to deal with snow days. We have had to deal with hurricanes and tropical storms though. Around here, when something like that happens, it is all because of scheduling. The schools MUST be open so many days during the school year. To continue to close them would mean cancelling days that are currently scheduled as holidays, and we all know that would get people complaining. Another option is to go into the summer vacation. Some states have laws regardling how long summer vacations must be, the latest or earliest schools can start, etc. I'm sure that has a lot to do with the decisions that are made.

 

[luvmy3]

I know what you mean. My kids have had snow days that should have just been delays. Now that they have used every snow day but one they aren't closing when they need to.

 

[golfgal]

Didn't he have anybody on his staff with experience in Minnesota weather to advise him when it came to weather? Or did he just not listen to them?

Honestly I don't know. It was a long time ago. I know most districts what happens is the superintendent contacts the bus company, the head of the bus company and the superintendent often make that decision together. That is one job I would NOT like at all. You are darned if you do, darned if you don't.

 

[Big Cuddly Bear]

Well, we're in Florida, so we don't have to deal with snow days. We have had to deal with hurricanes and tropical storms though. Around here, when something like that happens, it is all because of scheduling. The schools MUST be open so many days during the school year. To continue to close them would mean cancelling days that are currently scheduled as holidays, and we all know that would get people complaining. Another option is to go into the summer vacation. Some states have laws regardling how long summer vacations must be, the latest or earliest schools can start, etc. I'm sure that has a lot to do with the decisions that are made.

No doubt, but the other days they closed were definitely very minor, and in fact, most of the roads were CLEAR, even the side roads. I have a contractor at my home today. It is normally a 30 minute drive from where is office is to here. Today it took him almost 3 hours to get here, so, IMO, regardless of all that, just based on roads, they should have canceled.

And, just 5 minutes ago, they called and said they are closing school right after lunch.

 

[taitai]

We live right outside Minneapolis and have not had a snow day yet. We have 60 or so inches on the ground already, multiple big storms, weeks of sub-zero weather and not a single snow day. In fact, my children have NEVER had a snow day. They honestly don't know what they are. I have never known one the entire time we have lived here. People just know how to drive, the roads get cleared quickly and the kids dress for the weather. Part of the culture. Too bad, too, as a snow day would be fun for my guys.

 

[Magic Mom]

Honestly I don't know. It was a long time ago. I know most districts what happens is the superintendent contacts the bus company, the head of the bus company and the superintendent often make that decision together. That is one job I would NOT like at all. You are darned if you do, darned if you don't.

I think this is the bottom line. If they cancel school, then thay are alarmists that don't care about working parents or family vacation time, but if they don't cancel then they don't care about the safety and welfare of children.

Our county is huge and mostly rural. So even when the roads in town are OK, the back roads are still icy and dangerous even with just a few inches of snow. So far this year we have missed quite a few days. I'm not happy, but I understand the decision process and I know they are trying to make decisions in the best interest of the kids and families.

 

[golfgal]

We live right outside Minneapolis and have not had a snow day yet. We have 60 or so inches on the ground already, multiple big storms, weeks of sub-zero weather and not a single snow day. In fact, my children have NEVER had a snow day. They honestly don't know what they are. I have never known one the entire time we have lived here. People just know how to drive, the roads get cleared quickly and the kids dress for the weather. Part of the culture. Too bad, too, as a snow day would be fun for my guys.

We have had ONE "snow" day in 5 years-but it was really for dense fog, not snow. Growing up we usually had one or two snowdays/year but then they got better at cleaning the streets . Away from the metro area where there is more farmland and open spaces, they get a few snowdays or at least a few late starts each year because the rural roads drift so badly. If the 20"+ snowfall we had in December fell on a weekday, most of the metro would have had a snow day with that though-dang weekend snowstorms .

 

[BuzzBiteyear]

It can be tricky. Here in Michigan, it very well could be the case of a lesser snow day with seemingly cleared roads being a day they call off, vs. a day when there's a bunch of snow. We had this happen last week. The problem was the roads were clear, but we had just a bit of rain, then the temperature dropped quickly with enough snow to lightly cover up the roads (nothing the trucks would even go out and clear up) and the roads were sheets of ice when the buses would have been making the rounds. Had it been 6" of snow, that you can drive on, but after questioning the cancellation myself, I slipped and slid all the way into work that day.

 

[crazelion]

We got lucky today the moutains protect us again. Thank you mountains. They was predicting 1 to 2 inches of snow. We did not get today. We have ran out salt to salt the roads. School and work would be close today.

The South can not handle anymore snowstorms. They is expecting a ship in Feb. of salt. I am praying to god that don't get anymore snow.

Is spring yet.

 

[momof1princess]

OP, i know how you feel. a couple of weeks ago, we had an ice storm, and our local school system was closed for the entire week! the kids could've gone back to school on wednesday-my DH was driving back and forth to work with no issues. luckily, the 1-2 inches of snow we were supposed to get last night didn't materialize, because if anyone had seen a snowflake fall within 20 miles of here, school would've been called off. of course, we're in NE alabama, and our state DOT has very little snow-moving equipment, but still, people PHA-REAK out at the first mention of the word "snow".

 

[sunnyday123]

I often wonder if they're watching the same news we are. Last snow it was maybe an inch, school was cancelled. Today, we got slammed-not even a delay. It took me 20 minutes to go less than a mile and the only reason we did was because DD really wanted to go to school. ( she's weird like that) I got to work at 8:45, school called at 10am, come get your kids!

Parking lot wasn't plowed...grrr.

 

[Christine]

Here in the DC metro area (northern VA for me), the schools are terrified of lawsuits. Over the years, there have been so many instances of them not calling off in time and kids getting stuck for hours on icy roads, bus accidents, etc. Now, they just seem to not want to take ANY chances.

Our schools got closed today mainly because we had some very light snow/slush in the early morning BUT they are calling for a doozy of a storm to come in around 3PM today. I guess they figured a two hour delay couple with a probably early release was just too much.

I do think that they jump the gun a bit. There are days that they absolutely could go to school without even a delay but they delay anyway.

 

[mjkacmom]

We had 2 feet already on the ground before it started snowing early this morning - probably picked up four to five. We had school, and we don't have early dismissal. Around five it's supposed to start really snowing, until about five am, so I am thinking delayed opening. So far, only one school day missed, two delayed openings.

 

[Big Cuddly Bear]

OP here... so my kids are home from school. The school opened on time, but several buses were FOUR HOURS LATE.... and no sooner did the kids get to school, they had to get ready to be sent home almost immediately.

My kids made it on time as I love close to school and I drove them... but according to my one daughter, kids were actually arriving and being told to pack up to go home.

 

[LilyWDW]

We got lucky today the moutains protect us again. Thank you mountains. They was predicting 1 to 2 inches of snow. We did not get today. We have ran out salt to salt the roads. School and work would be close today.

The South can not handle anymore snowstorms. They is expecting a ship in Feb. of salt. I am praying to god that don't get anymore snow.

Is spring yet.

Lucky! It's been snowing for a couple hours here already. It's a heavy, wet snow onto surfaces that are wet from rain since last night. Roads are going to be a MESS tonight. My road was wet, then snow covered, now is wet with a little snow (some seemed to have melt)... it's going to be a sheet of ice as the temps continue to drop.

Looks like the manager at my mom's store is going to close early and my mom is riding with her (we live next door to each other)... It's seriously going to be bad later.

 

[castleview]

Honestly, a lot of these decisions have little to do with the weather forecasts and mostly do with whether the buses will start and the parking lots will be cleared. School systems here in the Northeast are taking more days than normal - yeah, we're getting pummeled but many of the problems are stemming from not having any where to put the darn snow right now.