Arctic weather, snow and road conditions prompt school closures this winter

CENTER LINE/WARREN/STERLING HEIGHTS — Most kids are happy when there’s a snow day, but do they have to make up the time?

Well, that depends. Michigan public schools are allowed six “forgiven days,” also known as snow days or emergency closures, without penalty. District officials can close school for a number of reasons, including snow, ice, frigid temperatures, sickness outbreaks and infrastructure problems.

If a district exceeds the six-day limit, school officials can ask Michigan State School Superintendent Michael Rice for additional hours on an emergency basis. If additional days are not approved, they must be made up at the end of the school year or by altering the calendar to meet state-mandated instructional time requirements.

School officials don’t take the issue of declaring snow days lightly and have had four snow days thus far at press time: Jan. 21-22, and Feb. 6 and 13. The Warren Weekly emailed local school administrators for an update on the status of their emergency closures this school year.

 

Center Line Public Schools
Four snow days so far: Jan. 21-22 and Feb. 6 and 13. Student safety is the number one reason to shut down school. The district usually uses 20 degrees below zero with wind chill as the benchmark to consider closing schools.

“If road and sidewalk conditions are bad (snow or ice) and we believe students, parents, or our buses could be put in danger walking or driving to school, we will consider closing school for the day,” Superintendent Joseph Haynes said.

“There is no set amount of snow or ice that initiates a cancellation of school. It is an individual look at all the factors impacting the travel to and from school. We have canceled school in the past with minimal snow and ice, but high winds, blowing snow and limited visibility impacted our ability to safely transport students,” Haynes said. “We have a large number of walkers and students who wait at bus stops and skin exposure at that temperature for a short amount of time could cause health issues.

“We understand how difficult it is for families to arrange childcare and work schedules because of a school cancellation. We try to give our families as much notification as we can regarding school closings,” Haynes said. “Several Macomb County superintendents conference and discuss the possibility of closing schools. Each superintendent is responsible for their district.”

Some people feel snow days are unnecessary and that students should be in school.

“Everyone has their own opinion on what warrants safe and unsafe conditions,” Haynes said. “We believe we look at all factors when determining the necessity to cancel school and only cancel school when it is warranted.”

To make up the lost time, Haynes said teachers and students “are extremely good at adjusting to circumstances that are out of their control.” Teachers may abbreviate a lesson or combine two lessons into one.

 

Fitzgerald Public Schools
District officials recently supplied families with their snow day procedures. Officials close school for inclement weather when conditions are unsafe to travel to or from school. Weather reports, road conditions, and student travel methods are considered.

Officials also can cancel school when there is a building issue. This is determined when there is an issue preventing the building from having students in attendance. That could include power outages, water main breaks or other issues that make the building unusable for the day.

Schools also could be closed for security issues, in which a threat has been made to a building or there is a community safety issue in the district making it unsafe for students to arrive at school or leave. In these cases, the district works with the Warren Police Department.

 

Van Dyke Public Schools
Schools were shut down Jan. 21-22 due to extremely low temperatures, Feb. 6 because of icy road conditions, and Feb. 13 for weather conditions. Superintendent Piper Bognar’s rescue dog, Harry the Snow Day Dog, helps announce snow days on the district’s website.

“The closure of school is always a difficult decision. Safety and education are the top two priorities of a superintendent, and this is where they collide,” Bognar said. “It’s impossible to predict driving conditions, walking conditions, etc., and we also know that students need to be in school. Ultimately, we want everyone to be safe while learning.”

The district’s educators are able to get caught up with lessons when they return to school.

“First of all, teachers are makers of magic,” Bognar said. “This is just something else they do daily. If you see one in the wild, buy them a coffee. Lessons are constantly altered, and instruction is updated to meet the changing needs of students.”

 

Warren Woods Public Schools
The district endured the same four snow days as the other districts due to a combination of severe winter weather conditions, including icy roads and sidewalks and dangerously low temperatures.

“Student and staff safety is always the top priority, and these closures were necessary to ensure safe travel for students: whether they walk to school, take the bus, drive themselves or get dropped off by a parent/guardian,” Superintendent Stacey Denewith-Fici said.

Additionally, a couple buildings closed for building issues, power outages, or unexpected closures in the area.

“Closing school is always a difficult decision. It requires careful consideration of road conditions, weather forecasts, and the ability of students, buses and families to travel safely. The district works closely with local authorities and surrounding school districts to make the most informed decision possible, always prioritizing student and staff safety,” Denewith-Fici said.

“Whenever possible, we make these decisions with as much time as possible, in an effort to provide families with time to make alternate plans,” Denewith-Fici said. “There are occasions where what is forecasted is not what actually arrives. In those cases, we acknowledge that the choice to remain open, or to close, was made with safety top of mind and in good faith with the information available.”

 

Warren Consolidated Schools
The district had four snow days so far: Jan. 21-22 and Feb. 6 and 13. Attempts to obtain more information on the district’s snow days procedure were unsuccessful at press time.