Closing school due to weather no snap decision
As we head toward the end of October, it won’t be too long before the Ohio weather begins its roller coaster of warm days and cold nights, soon to be followed by the fog, frost, and other wonders of nature that make our winter so unique to this part of the country. With those come the inevitable school delays and closings that cause chaos with our daily schedules and our lives in general.
We are limited to the number of hours that we were permitted to miss school due to calamities, most of which are weather-related. However, most districts have enough hours built into their approved calendar that this is not an issue and the thought of having to make up days, as we had to do in the past, has no bearing on making the call to delay or close. We do not use school events to determine if we delay or close, whether it be a big game or state testing. We make the decision about those activities after we make the call on the delay or closing.
It is a collaborative decision whether to call for a delay or to close school. Unless a decision can be made the night before, which is always the more preferable option, the process usually begins around 5 a.m., or earlier, with each district talking with their personnel. They discuss the conditions with the contact people for the district, which includes maintenance personnel, the business office, the transportation department, and the superintendent.
During all of the in-house discussion, there is also a flurry of calls between districts that are geographically close, as well as similar in size and terrain. All of which must be done before the buses head out for the morning. If a delay is called, we then have to decide to stick with the delay or change to a closing, should the conditions warrant. We keep in mind the routes the buses must travel, as well as the students and staff driving to school. It is never an easy decision but the bottom line is the safety of everyone coming to school. We would rather err on the side of safety and be delayed or miss a day than to risk someone’s safety just to get the day on the books.
We understand that this sometimes puts a burden on parents with regard to what to do with your student, which is why we try to make this decision as early as possible, whenever we can. If you have questions about your specific district, I am sure your superintendent will be glad to discuss with you.