Snow Days

As a student you always wondered who had the final say in the glorious snow day. Some kids said it was the bus drivers, or the snow plow men, other kids said it was up to the weather man/woman and others said it was up to the rotten principle. Well now that I am towards the end of my schooling career and have done my 100 hours of pre-student teaching observations. I have seen a glimpse of the procedure of what actually goes into having an actual snow day. Fist and foremost it is a cooperative decision between the local weather authority, the transportation authority, and the schools administrator. These people will deem it safe for the students and school employees to travel out to school. Even if the roads aren't bad in the morning the meteorologist must take into account projected forecast for the afternoon, because it is just as important to get them home safe as it is to get them to school in one piece. It is also based on the schools resources if they have the ability to clear the school grounds and make it safe for arrival of personnel and students. Once a storm is projected than the transportation manager will consult with the administrator of the district, once a decision is made by around 5 am than they will notify the local news station and radio stations to notify of the cancellation or about the delayed opening. With every school having a home web page now a days the cancellation will be posted on the website as well. On be half of the teachers there is a chain list that everyone must follow. Some schools districts actually have automated services that call all the school employees. If A county or district experience a harsh winter and uses more than their allotted snow days. They will then Dip into the spring breaks. It is necessary that students get a 182 days in the school year which is state mandated. If the school has a harsh winter than the school board will then decided which days to take away from spring recess. Now being on the other end of a snow day you realize that there is much more to it that the snow plow man.