When snow hadn't even touched the ground yet, area schools including Frederick Area and Leola had decided to dismiss students early. School officials say that determining whether to delay or cancel school due to weather all comes down to safety. Redfield, Northwestern, and Groton called off classes for the entire day on Tuesday before the area's first winter storm of the season could make a significant impact.
"The bottom line of the decision is: Are road conditions safe enough for students traveling to and from school?" said Randy Barondeau, superintendent of Frederick Area Schools. "The last thing we want to do is put students or staff at risk." Frederick dismissed school at 1 p.m. on Tuesday and planned to have a two-hour delay today.
How the Process Works
Area school officials said they have several ways of checking up on road conditions and the weather to determine whether to cancel or delay classes. Many schools use a multi-tiered process to measure the feasibility of sending students to school.
Leola school district Superintendent Julie Nikolas said she consults with the National Weather Service in Aberdeen to gauge the scope of the weather's effects and contacts county officials to get a sense of road conditions around the county, Nikolas said. Leola dismissed school at 1 p.m. on Tuesday.
"Talking with the weather services allows us to make better decisions," she said.
Nikolas said she stays in contact with staff within her district. She said they inform her about road conditions. In Frederick, it's not unusual to find Barondeau checking out the drivability around the district.
"It's a collective effort within our district; we stay in communication and stay updated on the latest weather information," he said.
School officials said that, for the most part, they try to make parents and students aware and spread news of cancellations, delays, or early dismissals as soon as possible.
"However, sometimes we just can’t predict what’s going to happen with the weather," Barondeau said. "But as a rule of thumb, it’s better to be safe and cancel school than to risk someone getting hurt."
In Aberdeen, Gary Harms, superintendent of Aberdeen Public Schools, added that safety is a top priority for his district as well. However, he said that Tuesday's weather did not pose a threat to the school day, so Aberdeen schools remained in session.
Harms said the district looks at several factors to help make the best decision for students and the entire district community.
"Roads, and temperatures (wind chills) are some of the factors we consider," Harms said.
He said the district has many students traveling from rural areas to attend school, which also influences the district's decision whether to delay or cancel classes.
"We also have very good communication with the weather service in Aberdeen, who give an idea of what to expect," he said.
In fact, the two sides had a conference call on Tuesday to discuss the latest winter weather.
Harms said when school is canceled or delayed, not only are the roughly 40,000 students affected, but so are parents and nearly 700 district employees.
"So it’s a decision process we don’t take lightly because so many people are affected," Harms said.
Thus far this winter, Aberdeen schools have not missed a day due to weather. Roncalli, as well as Aberdeen Christian School, typically follow suit with the Aberdeen Public School system regarding weather-related school cancellations or delays.