It’s been a tradition of winter since buses first rambled the wintry roads of rural communities. In the early morning hours students and parents gather by televisions, radios and computer screens waiting for the magic words that send kids back to bed, parents scrambling for babysitters and bus drivers a day off.
Snow days.
And during these first few weeks of January 2004 the opportunity for such a joyous midwinter freebee vacation day has been at least a possibility, with ice, snow and cold dominating the forecasts.
With one snow day (so far) for students at both Brandon and Goodrich schools, the wintertime student perk granted by the school administration is often questioned.
The process school districts use to make the snow day determination is simple, yet incorporates some early morning travel.
Dr. Raymond Green, Superintendent of Goodrich Schools gets out and drives district roads, beginning at 4:30 a.m. and tries to finish by 5:15 a.m. If he calls off school, he starts by calling staff members, then radio and television stations.
The decision to close school is based on early morning weather conditions, says Green, such as deep snow, ice, advisories issued by the road commission, or in rare instances, extreme cold, citing a minus 55 degree wind chill factor day. ‘It was just too bitter, it freezes the skin.?
‘We don’t like to make decisions based on weather forecasts,? said Green, who says a predicted storm may not materialize. Conversely, road conditions can be dangerous due to unexpected weather. Goodrich Schools? policy is to avoid calling off school once the school day has begun, due to the difficulty of getting the word to parents.
Green cautions parents to use their best judgment in deciding whether to send their children to school.
‘Conditions around a 50-mile school district vary,? said Green. If parents deem weather conditions dangerous, he advises they call and have their child excused. ‘We feel it’s important students are here, and parents depend on us to have school open, so we try to stay open as long as it’s not dangerous,? said Green.
‘We try to make the best decision, but hindsight’s always 20/20.?
Similarly, Brandon schools uses judicious decision-making in determination of a snow day.
Brandon School District Transportation Supervisor Betty Martin, begins inspection of the 55 miles of Brandon roads at about 3:30 a.m.on questionable mornings.
Factors, says Martin, include temperature, snow depth, ice, forecasts and if two vehicles can pass safely on the road.
‘It’s always an honest effort to evaluate every aspect of the road conditions,? said Martin, a former bus driver. ‘It could go either way, but we consider what’s the safest for the kids and what would make the parent feel safe about sending their kids out.?
Martin, says that modern school buses handle pretty well on bad roads, given the weight of the vehicles and the traction.
‘It’s a tough job out there on winter roads, bus drivers just don’t want to have kids standing out there freezing, it’s not the warmest place to be, especially for little kids.?
Martin travels the north, south, east and west roads and reports her findings back to the administration.
‘She’ll call me and make a suggestion,? says Bart Jenniches, Brandon Schools superintendent. ‘Snow’s not really a problem, it’s the icy road and the pending forecast.? A decision must be made by 6 a.m. since about 75 percent of all Brandon School district students utilize the 45 buses operated by the school.
By state statue school districts have 30 hours of instruction they can miss due to such factors as weather. Using up an allotted number of ‘snow days? isn’t as big an issue, say school officials, as when students were required to attend 178 out of 180 days. Students now attend 188 days and are not penalized.
‘School closings do reduce the traffic on the roads so it doesn’t hurt for them to close especially during rush hours,? said Craig Bryson, public information officer for the Road Commission of Oakland County.
‘Bus travel on subdivision roads may be hampered for a few days even after the storm,? added Bryson. ‘The higher speeds and (higher) traffic roads get taken care of first’that might not make us the most popular in the school districts where there are a lot of subdivisions.?
First Lt. Doug Lubahn, post commander of the Michigan State Police Groveland post emphasizes the reduction of traffic on roads that snow days perpetuate.
‘On school days the parking lots at most high schools are full of cars driven by students,? said Lubahn. ‘When school is called off not only are the buses off the road but so are students, not to mention those parents who drop off kids. It makes our job a lot easier.?