The cold facts on snow days

Warwick superintendent explains how the district cancels classes because of the weather Warwick - The reaction in most households when school is cancelled is mixed. For students, it is pure delight. There is nothing more welcome on a weekday morning than enough snow to cancel school. For parents it can be a nightmare. The decision-makers in the Warwick Valley Central School District understand that the call to cancel school has real implications for families. It is also a weighty matter because a wrong decision can have terrible consequences. This makes calling a snow day one of the most difficult decisions for a school superintendent. (It can also be a no-win proposition that results in numerous calls and e-mails from parents complaining when school is closed or when it isn’t.) During inclement weather, input is received from the district’s transportation and facilities directors. Each snow day decision is based on many circumstances. Every time there is inclement weather, a thorough analysis of the following relevant factors takes place: Five factors • Information on road conditions from transportation staff and police. Careful consideration is given to the most dangerous roads in the 86-square miles traveled by the district’s buses. Beginning at 3:30 a.m., the district’s director and assistant director of transportation personally cover many of these roads, particularly those in higher elevations, to determine if they are safe for our buses. The district also receives input on road conditions from the police and Warwick’s highway supervisor. • Current weather conditions and accumulation. The decision is also based on the amount of snow that has accumulated and whether precipitation may be continuing. • Weather predictions. While the school district prefers not to make a decision based on weather predictions, sometimes this is unavoidable, especially when a major snowstorm is predicted. The Warwick Valley School District receives regular updates from two sources: The National Weather Service and Doppler Radar. Updated every five minutes, Doppler provides detailed reports on the storm’s current location and its projected path. • District buildings and parking lot conditions. District administrators must also check with the director of buildings and grounds to ensure that all buildings have electricity and heat, and the maintenance staff will be able to clear snow or ice from the school sidewalks and parking lots. • Other school districts. It is common practice for a school district to check with neighboring districts on the weather reports and conditions in their area and to see if their schools will be open or closed. Once a decision is made, the public is notified through local radio and TV stations. An announcement is also posted immediately on the district web site, www.warwickvalleyschools.com, and recorded on the district’s switchboard, 987-3000. Every possible effort is made to release this information before 5:30 a.m. in order to reach district employees and students’ parents before they leave for work. Many parents rely on the school district’s decision to determine if and when they will leave for work. When weather conditions warrant, students may be released early - after giving adequate notice to parents through the media and district Web site. Early dismissals, delayed openings Sometimes the roads are safe for bus arrivals, but forecasters indicate that the roads at the time of dismissal will likely pose a problem. In this case the superintendent will make a decision to close schools early. Sometimes, if conditions are improving, it is best to remain for the full day. In either case, district administrators must project conditions for the next three hours of travel - that is the approximate amount of time it takes for a high school, middle school and elementary school bus run. When an early dismissal is in effect, high school students will be transported home first, middle school students second, and elementary students last. This is to ensure that older students are home for their younger siblings, should parents or guardians not be home. Parents are reminded to make sure that all school age children know what to do in case of early dismissal. Arrangements should be made with a sitter, neighbor or friend who can be called on in such situations. Delayed openings occur when conditions are likely to improve during the morning hours. The superintendent usually calls for a one- or two-hour delay based on the projected forecast and local conditions. While the superintendent of schools and district administrators go through a comprehensive decision-making process before deciding to open or close school, this decision, of course, is not an exact science. If school is open, but parents feel it is not safe for their child to attend, they should use their best judgment. Parents of teenagers may also want to discourage them from driving in bad conditions and offer alternatives if conditions worsen. Above all, the safety of Warwick students is the school district’s highest priority. School administrators will always make closing and delay decisions with the utmost concern for safety. Editor’s note: This article was provided by Dr. Joseph Natale, the outgoing superintendent of schools.