Why are they so quick to cancel school?

Is it because we like to threaten lawsuits for every little possible thing that could go wrong, even if it doesn't?

My town did not cancel school today, but every other school system in the area did. It it cold, 13 F currently and we have 2 inches of snow predicted before the end of the day. The snow was supposed to start at 7AM. It is now 9:30 and you really have to stare out the window to see the snow, it is that light. The meteorologists said it would be a very fine, light, powdery snow.

Why would school be canceled? Not to sound clichÃ[emoji]169[/emoji], but when I was young there wouldn't have even been a thought of canceling school on a day like this. This isn't the first time this year that I can't figure out why there is no school.

What is the temp with windchill?

Here it's about -30 because of windchill, and all the local schools canceled, but the University is still open. Which is dumb, because many of the students who live on campus have to walk from the residence halls to the academic campus, and that's at least 10 minutes in the cold. :/

According to the Weather Channel, it feels like 1 F.

But seriously, this is New England. If you canceled school every time it was cold, you would never have school.

Originally Posted by AbbysMom

According to the Weather Channel, it feels like 1 F.

But seriously, this is New England. If you canceled school every time it was cold, you would never have school.

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Well, yes, But they seem to cancel more and more as the years go on..remember the, "I walked two miles to school in snow, uphill (both ways)..." stories? We have our own now, lol.

I do wish they had canceled classes at least...I can really see students getting frostbite, especially those from other states (even if they are technically adults and old enough to know better).

Here in Atlanta they cancel school for it simply being too cold, it doesn't even have to snow. I think it has to get down to the single digits for that to happen though. Here it is because people don't know how to drive when its icy out and because a lot of people don't have the necessary clothes/equipment to stay warm enough when it gets down that low, since it happens so rarely.

But I think you hit the nail on the head there with the lawsuits. You know if somebody had an accident or something because they were being idiots in the snow their family would try to sue the school system for being open making them go out in it.

My parents used to just keep me home on days they felt it was dangerous to go out in the weather.

Originally Posted by AbbysMom

But seriously, this is New England. If you canceled school every time it was cold, you would never have school.

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Seriously!! What happened to hardy New Englanders? At this rate, they should just close down school for winter, and keep it open during summer- I'm sure everyone would love that
It's baffling to me, too.

I was just emailing friends about that who wanted to know if I don't have to work because it is so cold here. Apart from the fact I am home today anyway, uh No, life goes on - it is winter peeps!

I think a lot has to do with lawsuits, and also because kids have to travel further to go to school in most places. When I was growing up, I remember walking to school in the middle of what seemed like blizzards, but almost 1/2 the kids lived within walking distance of school so it wasn't that big of a deal.
Now (at least in my town) they've had to consolidate so many schools to cut down on education costs that some kids have 1/2 hour to 45 minute bus ride on streets that have many more cars with stupid people in them. I guess it's safer to just cancel.

As for the cold, school was only cancelled if the pipes froze.

I remember when I was a kid, it snowed here but the schools were still open. This was the 60's and they never closed the schools for any reason. Well, since it only snows every 10 years or so, my brother told my mom he was sick, so he could stay home and play in the snow. Well, my mom kept him inside all day and by the next day, the snow was all gone! He was so mad, but if he had gone to school, he would have been able to play at recess, lunch and after school.

We do have fog delays here on occasion. They are a 3 hour delay and for the busses only. We get Tulley fog here and that can be nasty.

We have the opposite problem here. In December we had freezing rain. Police issued warnings to stay off the roads. I drive my kids to school. I kept my kids home. The school buses ran. Then we had -48C the school buses still ran. I again kept my kids home. All of my neighbours sent their kids.

I read something interesting regarding the cold and school buses...buses that run on diesel might actually not start with temps this low. Diesel fuel gels in weather like this. That might be another reason why schools either cancel or delay.

Also, as far as NY vs. KY...NY is equipped to handle snow on a larger level than KY is. KY probably doesn't see MUCH snow, so the number of plows, drivers, and the amount of salt is a lot less than areas that see lots of snow.

I am assuming that it is due to lawsuits, and insurance issue's.
I often wonder this myself when I hear school cancellations on the radio. I certainly don't remember getting that many snow days or cold days when I was a kid.
In Fact I think maybe 3-6 a year was the limit back then.
I lived in a rural area and was bussed to both elementary and secondary school and I do remember lots of times when the weather was bad and we went anyways.

Originally Posted by Bella713

I grew up in Upstate NY, and it would have to snow 8 inches to a foot before they canceled school, here in Lexington, KY, it seems like when there is 1 inch they cancel

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I read this and really laughed! I grew up in downstate NY and in the Catskills and I went to Cornell in the Finger Lake region. Boy, do I know snow! I also know how definitions of snow vary by state.

DD, Jen, is a senior at Elmira College in the Finger Lakes and she is studying to be a teacher and taught last semester. She kept emailing us in Dec. about what makes a snow day, because she really wanted one!

Funny thing is that this past Tues. was my bday and there was record heat here. I am so used to longing for a snow day on my bday from when I was growing up that I am having a really hard time coping with all this HEAT!

Originally Posted by emrldsky

I read something interesting regarding the cold and school buses...buses that run on diesel might actually not start with temps this low. Diesel fuel gels in weather like this. That might be another reason why schools either cancel or delay.

Also, as far as NY vs. KY...NY is equipped to handle snow on a larger level than KY is. KY probably doesn't see MUCH snow, so the number of plows, drivers, and the amount of salt is a lot less than areas that see lots of snow.

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Plus many more teens have their license and drive to school, so their inexperience level makes it way more dangerous on bad roads. We've had many accidents and several fatalities when they didn't cancel or delay school, which makes the schools more prudent in their decisions. They make up the days later on when weather isn't a factor, so as long as they get in the required number of days I don't see an issue, especially when it means safer children.

Originally Posted by emrldsky

Well, yes,

But they seem to cancel more and more as the years go on..remember the, "I walked two miles to school in snow, uphill (both ways)..." stories? We have our own now, lol.

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I agree. I think kids today are way too coddled and soft.

My grade school classes from grade 1 through 6 was from 8 am to 4:30 pm with 45 minutes for lunch and 2 recess periods of 15 minutes each. I remember being so jealous of my brother who was in high school and the number of days he got off school and his school day being 9:10 am until 3:30 pm. Plus he got so many inservice days off that to me it seemed like he never had to go to school. Whereas my school year started before his and ended weeks after his and we didn't even get 1/2 of the days off for inservices that he got.

Originally Posted by emrldsky

I read something interesting regarding the cold and school buses...buses that run on diesel might actually not start with temps this low. Diesel fuel gels in weather like this. That might be another reason why schools either cancel or delay.

Also, as far as NY vs. KY...NY is equipped to handle snow on a larger level than KY is. KY probably doesn't see MUCH snow, so the number of plows, drivers, and the amount of salt is a lot less than areas that see lots of snow.

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Our biggest plow here in KY, is like the smallest in NY. When I first moved here to KY they had 1 1/2 ft of snow, no one went anywhere for weeks Certainly not what I was used too. My DH is very impressed when we go to NY, because the plows are SO huge

Because they're wimps? When I was still in elementary school, we still went if it was -30, but then again, I lived around the corner from my school and most other kids were also in walking distance.

They jump the gun to cancel school now more due to cold & road conditions. If the gravel roads are bad, like 90% of the kids won't be able to get to school.

Karen we have the same problems over here with our schools They close them when theres a tiny bit snow, and i remember walking to school when it was a foot deep and they still kept the school open!.