Given the weather so far this year it may seem premature to write about the protocols around closing school, calling for an early release, or delaying the opening of school due to weather (which we all normally think of as ‘winter’ weather). However, with the calendar now reading October, the Fall Equinox having occurred, the leaves changing color, new frost warnings, and with a not so pleasant long-range weather forecast, perhaps now is not such poor timing after all!
Although we take it for granted, the fact that the Gateway Regional School District encompasses seven towns, 205 square miles of land mass, and large deviations in elevation makes for some very different weather conditions on any given day. A morning when the sun may be shining in Blandford could find Russell and Huntington socked in with fog. On other mornings, the higher elevations may actually be above freezing while the lower elevations are just below freezing leading to slippery road conditions. In winter the opposite may occur – the higher elevations could be experiencing heavy snow or ice while the lower elevations are getting just rain. Given these differences, we often hear questions ranging from why we had school because the road conditions were not good to why didn’t we have school because there were no problems with the roadways. This may be the reason so many superintendents think these are some of the most difficult decisions they make throughout the year, because no matter what they decide, someone won’t agree with the decision. To that end, let me discuss how those decisions are made here at Gateway.
Deciding to delay the start of school or cancel school is simpler than deciding to release students early. As the bus contractors need to know as soon as possible to save their drivers coming in for no reason, and families need time to modify their daily schedules, and to ensure that appropriate communications occur in a timely fashion (including notifying the media), and to allow time for our custodial and maintenance staff to clean up the parking lots and sidewalks, the decision to delay or cancel school needs to be made as early as possible. My goal for these days is to gather the appropriate information (from weather reports, observations, and conversations with highway department personal and the state police) and make a decision as soon after 5 a.m. as possible.
The decision to release students from school early is much more difficult because students and staff members are already in school proceeding with their normal schedules and many parents are at work. The prediction of when a storm will start, the severity of the storm, and how quickly conditions will deteriorate all play into the decision of if, or when, students are to be released early. Even if students aren’t released early, there is still the decision regarding the potential cancelling of after-school activities and events. These decisions are complicated by the need to arrange for student transportation; the different release times between the K-6 and 7-12 students; preparations around lunch; and the potential for delays in getting buses back for the second bus runs. As we all know, the hour to hour accuracy of weather forecasting—while improving—still isn’t anywhere near 100 percent accurate. Thus, there are times when we end up transporting students after the storm has started, or even when all of the students are home before the storm begins.
The bottom line is that I must make decisions based upon the entire district and the key to these decisions is the safety of our students – is there a reasonable expectation that buses can safely negotiate the road, deliver students to school, or home, and that we can let families know of the decision in a timely manner? I don’t cancel, or reduce school hours, every time we get a little snow or ice due in part to the fact that our towns and district are fortunate to have some great road crews. On the other hand, I won’t hesitate to be the only district in the area with a delay, early release, or cancellation if conditions warrant that decision. I also want to point out that there are other reasons for changing school hours or cancelling school (you may think back to our water issues a few years ago) beyond the weather.
I wish to extend my thanks to each individual who provides information to help me make these decisions; that information is critical to making the best decision for our students across such a diverse topography. I also want to thank the many individuals in our schools and towns that make it possible to traverse the roads in less than ideal conditions, ensure we have utilities up and running, and in general keep our towns and schools running effectively and efficiently. As most students and staff return to bed after a cancellation, we should keep in mind the road crews, school custodial and maintenance staff, and administrators who still report to work to ensure that the issues preventing school from being in session are resolved as quickly as possible.
