School Closing

[HILLCYD]

So here I sit today looking out the window at blazing sunshine and my kid is home from school, AGAIN.

My kid's school has closed more this year than they closed school in the entire time I was growing up. They have closed 8-9 times this year if my count is correct, and 3-4 of those were flat out unnecessary.

I realize 100% that there are times when school needs to be cancelled, but I will never understand closures on days like today. I was out this morning and the roads were fine in my rural area.

Any have any ideas what metrics are used by districts to determine a closure is required?

 

[BryceC]

Where do you live? In Des Moines the roads were absolutely awful.

 

[Cybyassociation]

well it depends where you live...would you mind giving out an example of a school district? Here in Cedar Rapids/Marion, Linn Mar is usually the first one to cancel classes due to the fact that they have a lot of kids that still live out in the country side. Granted there arent many any more, but there still are some. Yesterday they decided not to delay or cancel and ended up with a bus in the ditch. The wind in open areas has been just nasty the past few days. Even in town I've seen some massive drifts across the roads.

 

[tigershoops31]

Depends on timing...the roads have to be good enough for buses by 8:00 am for school to be held with most districts. (6:00 without a late start). It has been frustrating at times this year when roads look great at 9 or 10 and you wonder why school was cancelled, but the bus safety is the key element in cancellations...

 

[khehr]

Not knowing what district your student attends... The school I work at is very rural, and out side of any sort of metro area the roads suck. Supt even got stuck checking roads this morning, so that make the decision pretty darn easy.

 

[dtclones]

So here I sit today looking out the window at blazing sunshine and my kid is home from school, AGAIN.

My kid's school has closed more this year than they closed school in the entire time I was growing up. They have closed 8-9 times this year if my count is correct, and 3-4 of those were flat out unnecessary.

I realize 100% that there are times when school needs to be cancelled, but I will never understand closures on days like today. I was out this morning and the roads were fine in my rural area.

Any have any ideas what metrics are used by districts to determine a closure is required?

I know ISU has the policy that if the CyRide cannot get around safely, they cancel classes. I don't know about other school districts.

Also, your kid has already missed 8-9 days?!? At what point do they stop making kids make up days in the summer? At this point these kids will be in school til the end of June.

 

[HILLCYD]

Again, I am all for safety. Yesterday = a good day to cancel classes.

This morning while I was out the roads were far from great, but definitely not terrible. I went out a little later and the highway was actually clean and dry.

This has really been a bad winter, but they seem to pull the trigger a little more quickly than I am used oto.

 

[khehr]

Again, I am all for safety. Yesterday = a good day to cancel classes.

This morning while I was out the roads were far from great, but definitely not terrible. I went out a little later and the highway was actually clean and dry.

This has really been a bad winter, but they seem to pull the trigger a little more quickly than I am used oto.

Also remember that there are a bunch of teens out driving like fools. You could drive in it, but not the 14 year old coming to school in Dad's truck with a school permit.

 

[Bobber]

Here in Waterloo we've taken less days than last year. We've had a lot of early dismissals and 2 hour morning delays but very few days off.

You have to error on the side of safety. I can understand the rural schools. They have a lot more gravel roads to drive.

 

[redrocker]

I think alot of these schools need to start thinking about cancelling that week of spring break that they have coming up in march.
They cancel school, but then I have to get my kids to daycare and then myself to work.

 

[HILLCYD]

I think alot of these schools need to start thinking about cancelling that week of spring break that they have coming up in march.
They cancel school, but then I have to get my kids to daycare and then myself to work.

Oh, here is the great thing. Our spring break was already knocked down to 2 days due to the high school not being able to open on time at the beginning of the school year. Now they will likely take all of it away. Even if they do that, they were going to have to do a June release date. It if keeps up there is a real chance they will be cancelling school due to heat in late June.

 

[Freebird]

When I was a kid, schools were smaller and closer. Especially the elementary schools. Heck, just about every neighborhood had a school. And I'm not that old, I'm talking about the early 80's here. As long as the buses could run, they would have class.

Now parents have to drive their kids instead of letting them walk or bus. Maybe that is part of the reason for more closing.

That and kids are just wussies today! :wink:

 

[CRCy17]

According to the register's article How many inches? We've had most snow since 1886 | desmoinesregister.com | The Des Moines Register

Des Moines has had the most snow this season since 1885-1886. That might be why school has been canceled more times than when you were in school. Unless you are really, really old.

 

[akellar]

Again, I am all for safety. Yesterday = a good day to cancel classes.

This morning while I was out the roads were far from great, but definitely not terrible. I went out a little later and the highway was actually clean and dry.

This has really been a bad winter, but they seem to pull the trigger a little more quickly than I am used oto.

I guess I would rather my kid go to class in June then die on a bus because the school was afraid of cancelling too much. Since you still haven't said where you live, I will have to speak from my drive experience this morning and say it was anything but a good safe drive. I would hate to think of a top heavy bus driving on the black ice covered streets filled with little kids. Liability becomes an issue as well. Keep in mind, the first time a school bus rolls and kids get hurt there will be dozens of people suing saying that schools should have cancelled.

 

[TykeClone]

Also remember that there are a bunch of teens out driving like fools. You could drive in it, but not the 14 year old coming to school in Dad's truck with a school permit.

--Karl

I think that this has more to it than most people would admit.

With fewer rural districts, kids are traveling farther now that they had to in the past to get to school. And many times they're driving on their own - not a big deal if they have a 10 mile round trip, but 50 mile round trips are much more common now than they were.

I don't think that anyone wants to be the administrator that doesn't cancel classes and a kid ends up dead due to inclement weather.

 

[Iastfan112]

Don't know your situation as you haven't stated where you live but if its a rural district or at least a district that a portion of the population lives in rural areas the decision is easy, gravel roads still aren't cleared and people who have lanes in these rural areas didn't get dug out till mid day in many cases.

 

[HILLCYD]

Don't know your situation as you haven't stated where you live but if its a rural district or at least a district that a portion of the population lives in rural areas the decision is easy, gravel roads still aren't cleared and people who have lanes in these rural areas didn't get dug out till mid day in many cases.

I have around gravel roads for a long time. For the most part people who live on gravel roads can get out and take care of themselves. Again, not all, but many.

If you look at the original intention of the thread, it stated that there are times when I feel (personally, in my opinion) that schools cancel without the need to. You can disagree, that is fine. Secondly, I was wondering about the actual policies around cancellations. I searched my district's website and couldn't find anything.

Several parents in my district have been complaining and I am thinking of writing a letter to the district to lay out their policies so I can better understand.

 

[Angie]

Where do you live? In Des Moines the roads were absolutely awful.

Yep, I watched two people go into the ditch on 35 on the way from Ames to 235, as well. There were a lot of patches that were fine, but just as many that were horrible. I know buses have awful traction - I wouldn't have felt comfortable sending a kid anywhere in one today.

 

[Iastfan112]

And the schools very well may pay attention to you, until the time comes and they don't cancel on a questionable day and several buses go in the ditch/get stuck. Then they get trigger-happy about canceling again.

 

[akellar]

Several parents in my district have been complaining and I am thinking of writing a letter to the district to lay out their policies so I can better understand.

What do you want the result of this to be? If they cancel school and you disagree, are you going to send you kid to school anyway? I guess I just don't understand the point of complaining about this. Do you really think the school wants to keep cancelling? They are taking the safety of the kids and staff into consideration.