Pre-emptive snow days? (school, safe, best) - Maine (ME) - Page 2 - City-Data Forum

Maine Writer · 12-09-2009, 10:05 AM

Think about what happens in June. At the end of the school year they're putting hours in, not learning anything and could be outside running around and being productive. I'd rather have them in for a half day now. T had half her classes before she was let out at 11:30 am. That was more productive than killing time in the middle of June.

lovemaine · 12-09-2009, 10:06 AM

Another parent told me that in our school district here in Camden the schools allow 5 free snow days. After that, they days have to be made up at the end of the school year. As for schools canceling before snow falls, I would rather err on the side of caution when it comes to driving conditions for the buses.

cebdark · 12-09-2009, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maine Writer

Think about what happens in June. At the end of the school year they're putting hours in, not learning anything and could be outside running around and being productive. I'd rather have them in for a half day now. T had half her classes before she was let out at 11:30 am. That was more productive than killing time in the middle of June.

Yeah, I see your point. I suppose they're pretty burned out by then.

Oh well, at any rate, today was a good day to cancel on the side of caution - the roads are a royal mess here.

Maine Writer · 12-09-2009, 10:59 AM

It's always better on the side of caution. It started snowing at 12:30pm. T was in the door all of five minutes before she asked to go to someone's house to watch movies. None of her friends are in walking distance so no, I don't think so, but thanks for asking!

Maineah · 12-09-2009, 11:45 AM

Personally I believe they cancel schools and businesses early now because people refuse to put snow tires on their cars. Blame the early closings on all season radials.

Back in the day we rarely had more than three snow days a year. They had chains on the bus tires and guess what, the busses never went off the road even in eight inches of snow. The only time they called off school was if it got really icy on top of the snow. The plows just could not deal with it and they needed the temps to rise enough for the sand and salt to melt down to the road surface. Towns used to pride themselves in their ability to clear the roads and keep people, students, and traffic moving. Now they plow the road once at the beginning of a storm and once at the end. There is about 6-7 inches of snow on the road in front of our house now. We have about 8 inches of new snow, the temperature has risen over the last hour to 34 degrees and the wind is picking up. It will probably be changing to rain shortly though at this point it's snowing so hard I can't see across our field.

cebdark · 12-09-2009, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maineah

Personally I believe they cancel schools and businesses early now because people refuse to put snow tires on their cars. Blame the early closings on all season radials.

Just hadta get that one in didn't ya? LOL

I think for this much snow 'tho, you'd need snow "spikes" not studs.

It does seem that more schools are quicker to close than they used to be.

I think it boils down to the dreaded "L" word - "Liability."

JC3 · 12-09-2009, 12:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Acadianlion

I have always felt that the schools closed very quickly during the winter. Just a hint of snow and they seemed to slam the doors shut. I grew up in a suburb of Boston and we used to beg and plead and pray for snow days and closures were a rare event.

My father was the superintendant of schools and had the responsibility of notifying the radio stations when the schools in his district were closed. I can remember him getting out of bed at four in the morning and calling wherever the forecasting initiated for eastern Massachusetts, and then making additional calls to principals and to the radio stations.

One day I asked him if he didn't think it odd that the schools closed so readily up here. He said that the decision to close schools was made depending not on whether or not it was snowing, but on what the driving conditions would be like when the school busses would run. If the kids were in school and it started to snow hard, by the time the busses could be redestributed to make their runs, the traveling could be extremely hazardous.

So also could the determining factor about closures be made by the amount of snow that had fallen, and whether there had been ample time to clear snow out around the school parking lots and emergency egress doors and walkways. So often schools will remain closed even though it would seem that there is no need for them to be closed.

Acadionlion, after all these years I now know who to blame for not getting out because of snow more often..lol! J/K

Living in the city, we had no school buses and the schools were located where we all walked to school. Don't know how it is now. And thinking back, I really can't recall having a lot of time off for snow. I do remember being up as early as your Dad listening to the radio for those wonderful words...the cities with no school.

American girl · 12-09-2009, 12:59 PM

The first question I get when I walk through the door iat 7:30 a.m. is "what time are we closing". Doesn't matter if they live 5 miles or 50 from the office they are clammering to go home at the first hint of snow. The broadcast media starts warning us three days in advance that it's going to snow and by the time it does everyone has flashlights out, $5,000 worth of groceries stockpiled and has told their family's ice storm story at least three times. Jeesh

it's Maine.

Maineah · 12-09-2009, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JC3

Acadionlion, after all these years I now know who to blame for not getting out because of snow more often..lol! J/K

Living in the city, we had no school buses and the schools were located where we all walked to school. Don't know how it is now. And thinking back, I really can't recall having a lot of time off for snow. I do remember being up as early as your Dad listening to the radio for those wonderful words...the cities with no school.

Out here in the country they blew the fire whistle at 6:45 AM three times if there was no school. From our house we could hear the fire whistles from Cumberland, Freeport and Yarmouth.

JC3 · 12-09-2009, 02:03 PM

Maineah, I laughed when I read about the 6:45 whistle. We would start listening to the radio at 5AM or so and if we didn't hear our city by 6:30AM we would be in tears and all hope was lost. No matter how much we dragged out getting ready, it didn't work. On went the snow boots.