As inclement weather conditions continue to disrupt travel to and from school, the district’s process for deciding when to call a snow day has drawn student attention.
When it snowed in early December last semester, senior Ebi Hegeman got into a car accident while driving on the icy roads. Hegeman said that a snow day would have prevented the accident.
“I think the roads weren’t safe enough for students to be driving on them, especially because not all of us have been driving long enough to know how to handle icy roads,” Hegeman said.
Hegeman said she thinks the district should add more specific requirements to its snow day policy to prevent accidents in the future.
“There should be a set standard that can be influenced or changed,” Hegeman said. “When there isn’t specific criteria to go off of, it often ends up with people not calling a snow day when there should be one.”
Math teacher Mitchell Kibbe, who also got into a car accident on December 1, said that a late start would have prevented the accident.
“I don’t think the whole city was prepared for the roads to be cleared at that time,” Kibbe said.
District officials said there is no statewide protocol in Kansas for school cancellations, making snow day decisions a local responsibility. Before calling a snow day, Superintendent Jeanice Swift and Deputy Superintendent Dr. Larry Englebrick evaluate weather conditions 48-72 hours in advance. Furthermore, this evaluation includes conferring with USD 497’s Facilities and Operations members to determine road conditions, as well as consulting the National Weather Service.
Michael Moore, driver of First Student’s Bus 37, said that the buses can’t be started until the temperature reaches zero degrees Fahrenheit, which can cause delays.
“I’m pretty good about being on time, but when it’s that cold, any time kind of sucks,” Moore said. “Half my kids all rode with their parents, so I didn’t have that many people.”
According to Assistant Principal Amanda Faunce, the decision to call a snow day can be very difficult because, while inclement weather can make driving dangerous, schools are still important as they serve as community resources.
Executive Director of Communications Jake Potter said that the decision to call a snow day is important to keep walkers and bus riders out of cold weather conditions.
“The decision to close school, reschedule activities or impact the academic calendar in any way is never taken lightly,” Potter said.
