Superintendents starting to cancel school for Monday

http://www.stltoday.com

If kids spend their snow day hoping for another one, there’s a chance some might get their wish.

Blizzard-like conditions combined with predictions of bitter cold temperatures made the decision to close schools Monday clear-cut for superintendents and principals, most of whom made the call early Sunday afternoon. Resuming classes on Tuesday, however, could be a different story.

School officials will have to decide whether it’s safe to send their maintenance crews out in dangerous wind chills to clear sidewalks and parking lots. And they will have to guess whether temperatures will have warmed enough on Tuesday to have students waiting at bus stops.

“There is just no way school can take place (Monday) and I would say Tuesday is going to be questionable,” said Michael Fulton, superintendent of Pattonville. “I’m sure with this much snow and this much drifting, it’s going to be a challenge to get those bus stops cleared. The wind chill is going to be a problem. It’s just not a good combination for young children.”

Pattonville was one district that called off school for both Monday and Tuesday on Sunday. Middle and high school students already were supposed to be off Monday for a teacher work day, so Fulton decided to push that to Tuesday and keep all students home both days.

For many students across the area, Monday was supposed to be the first day back after winter break.

Scott Huch, a junior at Parkway South High School, tried not to be too optimistic during the weekend about a snow day on Monday, especially with Saturday’s warmer temperatures and no snow appearing before he went to bed.

When he looked out his window Sunday morning, the first thing he thought of was sledding. But he and his friends didn’t last too long outside because of the wind. He decided to enjoy the day and not speculate about the possibility of no school on Tuesday.

“It’s pretty great for right now,” he said in a phone interview from a friend’s house, where they were eating chili and getting ready to play board games.

Some students lobby their school leaders. Mehlville School District Superintendent Eric Knost was ready for them early Sunday.

“Students ... You guys are great but please don't begin with the pestering tweets. I will communicate my plans this afternoon. Thx. #patience,” he tweeted.

School administrators planned to regroup Monday and discuss the possibility of school on Tuesday.

Officials from several public school districts conferred on a conference call early Sunday afternoon, and announced closures soon after. Typically administrators are concerned with ice and snow creating hazardous road conditions for buses, parents and teachers. But for this storm, they have the added factor of sub-zero temperatures and wind chills.

“With the extreme temperatures, that’s an added thing,” said Desi Kirchofer, deputy superintendent in the Parkway School District. “But it’s the same kind of criteria — is safety going to be at risk?”

Because of the predicted wind chills on Monday following the snow, many students and parents were already anticipating the call that school would be off Monday.

Elaine Shashack was relieved to get the news from the Edwardsville School District early afternoon on Sunday about the cancellation so she could make arrangements for child care for her 6-year-old. And the district also announced they would make an announcement by 7 p.m. Monday about Tuesday.

Shashack’s son went back to school from winter break on Friday after classes also were called off last Thursday. He had a wrestling tournament canceled on Sunday, and he’s ready to back to school and his regular routine, she said.

“I’m not gonna lie, he’s bouncing off the walls,” she said.

Some districts have set policies about wind chill, such as the Ferguson-Florissant School District. Generally, the district's guide for cold temperature closings is wind chills of -18 degrees. Officials at St. Louis Public Schools, where about 20,000 students ride buses, make recommendations to cancel classes if wind chills are around -10 degrees.

“We worry about our kids being bundled up enough,” district spokesman Patrick Wallace said. And with more than two weeks passing since classes were last in session, there is also a concern about the high percentage of kids in the district who rely on school for meals. But the number one consideration has to be whether kids can get to school safely, he said.

Ron Rebore, principal of De Smet Jesuit High School, has students living across St. Louis and St. Charles counties, as well as the city. De Smet has one bus, but most of the boys drive themselves or are driven by parents.

Rebore has watched weather reports the last two days. The wind chill was concerning to him if someone should have vehicle problems trying to get to class.

“It’s not worth it to put lives at risk for one day of school,” he said.