I got a call yesterday from a very polite and patient lady
who inquired how we determined when to cancel school. This happened to be one of those days with
single digit temperatures and with many roads covered in packed snow. We had decided on a 2 hour delay along with
the other districts in Kent County.
Everyone south of us had canceled for the day.
I explained that we always begin with “can the children who
are transported be transported safely”?
The first snow of every winter need not be much to cause us
to close, because we recognize that we all need to re-learn how to drive in
those conditions. But, after several
snow storms and several bouts of extreme cold temperatures, we also have to
recognize that we are in winter driving mode - people need to get to work and
parents expect to have their children in school.
There are many places in the country where the road rarely
sees the sun due to the shade of roadside forests. The snow pack will be there until things warm
up. All that the snow plows are doing is
polishing the shine. These conditions could remain as they are for weeks. We cannot wait for 100% of our roads to show
dry pavement before we return to school.
We also need to remember that our bus drivers are not just
drivers. They are professional drivers. They
have a special license and special training and they are entrusted with the
safety of the children they transport every day. They know what they’re doing. Rarely does a bus have an accident at the
fault of the driver. It’s generally the
other drivers on the road that cause problems.
Finally, I like to point out that in Delaware, children must
have a minimum number of hours of instruction each year. We have a few excess hours built in which
means we don’t have to make up these days missed so far. But, if we have one more snow day, every
subsequent day will have to be made up.
Most who are concerned about the roads, also are not in favor of extending
the school year deep into June.
As an elementary principal in the West Virginia mountains
several years ago, I have fond memories of the sound made by the school buses
in chains as they rumbled away at the end of each winter day. It was no big deal. Once they left town and went out into the
country the chains were necessary for them to get where they needed to go. Some buses stayed chained up for weeks at a
time.
When I took the school bus operator class myself, I was
required to demonstrate that I could put the chains on a bus as part of my
driver’s test. I can’t remember the last
time I saw any vehicle with chains.
We’ve missed more school this year than we have in many
years and winter has just begun. Hang on
and pray that the ground hog foretells an early spring.
