Closure for Winter Conditions: Is it Worth it?

What are the conditions for a school day cancellation or 2-HR delay, and what are the thoughts of students and staff in regard to the matter?

Jackson Kilburn, '23

There’s no denying that it’s been a very odd winter this year, from a winter vortex during the week of Christmas to the snow and ice consistently seen throughout the days afterward only to revert back to springish 55 degree weather. But one question during that cold snap over Holiday break that has been on a number of students’ minds is “would we still have gone to school if we weren’t already on break?”

As of November 14th, 2022, the general guideline is that if there is a wind chill warning issued for that day, depending on how close it occurs to the school day (6 am is when this time starts) they will then consider a two-hour delay. However, if the delay has not been lifted by 10:30 am, they will be more likely to cancel school for that day (read the school policy here).

This also offers details about the difference between a warning and an advisory, and how it ties into our policy, as well as offering information as to where/ how you can learn about a delay or cancellation within the school.

Word of mouth implies that the general consensus is that the winter weather policy is acceptable the way it is, however, these conditions still do hold challenges for students as they traverse to school.

Many students drive/ carpool to school, so they experience the road conditions during this weather. This is no different for Will Green, a senior.

Image Credit: iStock

“My mom has gotten stuck in snow multiple times, we’ve also almost slid into oncoming traffic after going down a steeper hill. The conditions are pretty unsafe for us because our car doesn’t have four-wheel drive, which is usually seen as a huge help, and I know plenty of other students who don’t have that function as well,” said Will.

Fender benders tend to be on the rise during these conditions as well.

“While my car does take a while to warm up, that’s not the main issue for me. I’ve been in a few rear-end collisions that were out of my control due to the ice on the road. Personally, I care more about the safety of me and the others in my car more than I do about getting to school on time,” said Atlas Cron, another senior.

With winter weather conditions, However, Atlas, like most students, has little experience driving. Up until this year, they mainly walked to and from school as their way of transportation, and that includes hiking in these major colds.

Image Credit: Outside Magazine

Image Credit: iStock

“I think there could be a better implementation of online school in terms of day-to-day learning, or in general just helping students feel caught up if they really need to miss a day or two," said Atlas.

But students aren’t the only ones who still have to go to school during unpleasant conditions that don't require a cancellation based off the policy, teachers do as well and some have a much longer commute like Government Teacher, Kurt Acord. Mr. Acord commutes from Lone Tree, which is about a 30-minute drive to and from town with normal conditions.

“I frequently will joke with students that having snow days/cancellations was the reason I became a teacher. I don't think I would change anything," said Mr. Acord.

For Mr. Acord, having structured routines for students is a good thing and snow day cancellations really disrupt those routines.

"Trying to bring kids back to those routines is a challenge that teachers all deal with. Additionally, if the school was canceled because of inclement weather, would students take that time to complete their assigned work, or complete late/missing assignments that could be turned in? Should we hold virtual classes...and would students attend their virtual classes?” said Mr. Acord.

In addition to this, he was also asked about what he thinks motivates students to go to school on days when they feel like there should be a cancellation or at least a 2-HR delay that day.

“I think it comes down to this: Go to school...or take the day off? For the students (and possibly their Parents/Guardians/Caregivers) that don't attend, the value of education may have a different definition for them. How many days of school can be missed...and yet still pass classes and graduate?” he responded.

Image Credit: PrepScholar Blog

So while we all miss school days, the winter weather policy helps our students stay in school and ideally safe from weather conditions.

For students, the school doesn’t have to be just a place to learn. For some, it’s a warm place to go after making the trek here or a place where they’re able to eat a full breakfast or lunch. School provides a lot more than just an education and the policy helps keep these things open to students.

Even students who are using the school for just education benefit from this, as fewer snow days means a long summer break. So while you sit in your math class working on a difficult problem, longing for a snow day just to have a break, think of all of these reasons why it really is a good thing that school stays in session, and remember to be a cautious driver.

While the policy may not be perfect to some, you can benefit from it no matter who you are as long as you use it to your advantage.