Snow Days and School Closings

[Mightytboy]

Our schools closed yesterday because it rained.  It was supposed to turn to sleet and snow in the evening but they didn't want to take the chance.

It didn't start sleeting till around 7pm.  What maroons.

[eskimo2]

Originally posted by Mightytboy
What maroons.

???

[Helrazr1]

Yep, schools closed here too, but we got about 11" of snow last night.  They actually closed schools last week for the cold, but after doing some research on why, it is because they use biodiesel in the school busses.  It actually will thicken up to where it won't burn without additives.  So, since they estimate that 80% of the kids in the public schools ride the busses, they just closed school.

[LePaul]

We're getting pounded here in the Northeast right now.

Kieren hit it right on the head, lawsuits.  

And usually when school is closed, its a call based on discussion between the bus company and the superintendents.  If the buses dont feel they can operate safely, they wont.

[nirvana]

I think it's 12" here, or it might just depend on how the school board is feeling that morning.  The school district I'm in is notorious for keeping school open as long as they can, which in retrospect is a good thing.  Meanwhile a private school 3 miles away slams the doors and closes school at the mere sight of snow.  I'm not sure about cold purely closing school, I'm sure they have a set limit, I've just never read into it or had it happen.  We did have school closed due to "hazardous road conditions" or something a few weeks ago.  

We only have 2 days allotted for snow days though and we've already used them this year so they are extremely hesitant to close now.

[DREDIOCK]

Originally posted by Kieran
Another factor is how much snow a region usually gets and the amount of snow equipment available.

Let's not forget kids have to stand in the cold and wait for buses.

Or the kids that drive to school. Most of 'em are inexperienced. One wreck and you have moms and dads claiming shouldn't have been in session at all. Lawsuit.

 

awwe poor kiddies haveta wait in the  cold and snow!

Yet. if the school closes what is it those very same kids do but go out and play in in that very same cold and snow everyone is so concerned about them having to wait for a bus in..


No the real reason is lawsuits and the Bus companies insurance companies

Insurance companies have alot more to do with how a school operates  as well as other things then people realise

[Kieran]

Drediock,

That would all be true if parents behaved rationally, which a lot of times they don't. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. And boy, do they looooove to call school board members around here.

As Mightyboy said, we were out yesterday because of rain. But it is fair to say that just 25 miles north of us it iced like no tomorrow. I can't be too hard on our corporation under the circumstances. We were out today because we eventually got the ice, too.

[DREDIOCK]

Schools were closed here today too.
But the way the state handled things they might as well just have closed down everything.

They did next to nothing on the roads till well into the morning hours.

From what Im guessing..guessing mind you cause its the only thing that makes sense to me is they went by the weather report on the local radio station which called for snow accumulation last night to be minimal then changing to rain today "hevy at times"

Well...
thats not quite the way it happened.

didnt really snow much. but it didnt rain either. I wouldnt call it freezing rain as it was already frozen solid by the time it his the ground.
I would best discribe it as frozen drizzle which really was the form of tiny little frozen beads of ice which accumulated to few inches thick.

End result. the roads were insane. It was like trying to drive on a road covered in millions of tiny ballbearings which covered ice. which is essentially what it was

State police said they responded to well over 200 accidents just on the roads they patrol.  which is mainly only the major highways.
And on those roads were two fatalities.
Thats not including local and township roads

The state really screwed the pooch on this one

[cav58d]

Back in high school I had a full week of 1/2 days, simply because the lunch lady staff went on strike.  No Lunch....No Full Day.

[DREDIOCK]

Originally posted by cav58d
Back in high school I had a full week of 1/2 days, simply because the lunch lady staff went on strike.  No Lunch....No Full Day.

and by having 1/2 days they count as full days for required (180 here in NJ) school days

[Ack-Ack]

Growing up in Orange Country in the '70s, we'd often have "smog days" and schools would close up or if the school was already in session, they'd make us stay inside all day until school let out.


ack-ack

[Ripsnort]

Bah! Ohioans (or is it Ohioites?) are wimps. The coldest recorded temperture in the lower US was in Minnesota.

When...

It's 60 above zero:
Floridians turn on the heat.
People in Minnesota plant gardens.
 
50 above zero:
Californians shiver uncontrollably.
People in Duluth sunbathe.

40 above zero:
Italian & English cars won't start.
People in Minnesota drive with the windows down.

32 above zero:
Distilled water freezes.
The water in Bemidji gets thicker.

20 above zero:
Floridians don coats, thermal underwear, gloves, wool hats.
People in Minnesota throw on a flannel shirt.

15 above zero:
New York landlords finally turn up the heat.
People in Minnesota have the last cookout before it gets cold.

Zero:
People in Miami all die.
Minnesotans close the windows.

10 below zero:
Californians fly away to Mexico .
People in Minnesota get out their winter coats.

25 below zero:
Hollywood disintegrates.
The Girl Scouts in Minnesota are selling cookies door to door.

40 below zero:
Washington DC runs out of hot air.
People in Minnesota let the dogs sleep indoors.

100 below zero:
Santa Claus abandons the North Pole.
Minnesotans get upset because they can't start the Mini-Van.

460 below zero:
ALL atomic motion stops (absolute zero on the Kelvin scale.)
People in Minnesota start saying..."Cold 'nuff fer ya?"

500 below zero:
Hell freezes over.
Minnesota public schools will open 2 hours late.

[TheThang]

Yeah eskimo I live in Canal Fulton (a little below akron) and we had to have gotten at least 15 inches, the most we've gotten in like 10 years, and apparently nobody plowed or salted the roads down here so its hell to get around.   I feel your pain.  School is closed though

[Kieran]

Originally posted by DREDIOCK
and by having 1/2 days they count as full days for required (180 here in NJ) school days

Nope. If they don't get lunch, it isn't a day. They had to make the time up somehow.

[DREDIOCK]

Originally posted by Kieran
Drediock,

That would all be true if parents behaved rationally, which a lot of times they don't. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. And boy, do they looooove to call school board members around here.

As Mightyboy said, we were out yesterday because of rain. But it is fair to say that just 25 miles north of us it iced like no tomorrow. I can't be too hard on our corporation under the circumstances. We were out today because we eventually got the ice, too.

Parents rational? LMAO!

 They love to call them around here too

Originally posted by Kieran
Nope. If they don't get lunch, it isn't a day. They had to make the time up somehow.

Here, half days count as full days. Then again we havent had that situation here either.
But if that were the case. Im surprised they didnt just cancel school for those days altogether