Readers cold to notion of school snow days

Most Prince George Citizen readers feel that more snow days for school-age kids would bring more headaches than benefits, according to The Citizen’s most recent online poll.

The poll, which asked “Should School District 57 order schools closed on days with heavy snowfall?” allowed readers to choose between four options – two in the ‘yes’ category and two in the ‘no’ category.

Overall, 57 per cent of readers voted ‘no’ to changing the stringent snow days policy of SD 57, while 43 per cent voted ‘yes.’ The poll, a non-scientific reader-poll, drew 948 votes in total.

On the ‘yes’ side of changing the snow day policy, 28 per cent of respondents, or 261, said that schools should be closed on days of heavy snowfall because roads were not safe for buses to bring kids to school. Sixteen per cent, or 147 of the respondents, agreed with closing schools because students should not be walking to school when the roads were not safe for drivers.

On the ‘no’ side, 40 per cent of respondents, or 382, said schools should be kept open on days of heavy snowfall in case of students arriving at school without knowing about the closure. Seventeen per cent, or 158 respondents, said schools should be kept open for parents who have no emergency care for their kids.

The reader poll was inspired by a presentation at the February District 57 school board meeting by Prince George District Teachers’ Association president Joanne Hapke.

Our next reader poll asks “Should the City of Prince George allow cottages and carriage houses (home attached to a garage) to be built in addition to the main dwelling on residential lots?” Cast your vote at princegeorgecitizen.com.