The snow day: one tough call; eight common mistakes rookie leaders commit when the flurries start to fly

School Administrator, Feb, 2003 by Randy L. Dewar

Cold weather superintendents have a special alliance, solidified by at least one frenzied winter night of staying up late to watch The Weather Channel, climbing out of bed at 4 a.m. to decide whether the roads are hazardous enough to cancel school and then spending the day defending their decision.

Even with 20 winters of snow-day decisions under my belt, I still wrestled with indecision on some wintry mornings. Superintendents never can stop worrying about the elements. My advice? Realize that no matter what decision you make, somebody is going to be upset.

Having said that, there are a few mistakes cold weather rookies can easily avoid when snowflakes and ice threaten the school day.

Forecasting Follies

Rookie Mistake No. 1: Calling off school on the basis of a weather forecast.

If the inclement weather forecasted doesn't materialize, the weathercaster can laugh it off with, "The bad weather missed us this time. The upper-level gizmo failed to affect the drop in atmospheric gases and therefore it will be a nice day." The superintendent who called off school based on that forecast can't laugh it off.

Find a reliable source for an up-to-date weather report. A good personal relationship with your local radio or television weathercaster can help. Consider subscribing to a weather alert system with a broadcast monitor that sounds an alarm when a weather alert is at hand. Perhaps you can access a weather band channel with a special radio monitor or a cable TV station that includes The Weather Channel. Determine what source works best for you.

Don't overlook the unconventional. Accept warnings from any and every source, including the football coach's achy knee and your secretary's arthritis, although sometimes behaviors of earthworms and woolly caterpillars may be more accurate than any of the above.

Rookie Mistake No. 2: Delaying an obvious call until the morning.

If the weather is already so adverse the night before that there is no way the roads could improve before the morning bus run, call school off then and stay under your electric blanket. Parents will thank you for giving them time to arrange child care for the next day.

If you do wait until the next day, get up early to greet the weather, The earlier you make the call, the happier your community will be.

Rookie Mistake No. 3: Failing to recognize the dangers of extreme cold.

Snow and ice are not your only enemies in the winter. Sometimes it is just too cold for school. While children in Wisconsin may simply throw on their parkas, boots, mittens and scarves and go out to wait for the bus, that is not the case in Oklahoma, where extreme cold weather is rare and children may not even have heavy winter coats or mittens.

Be sure the buses will start before making the decision to hold school. Cold temperatures can cause the diesel fuel that powers most school buses to turn to gel. If the buses start, they may be slow and run behind schedule while children stand and wait. The wind chill adds to the danger of frostbite, especially if the children are nor dressed for the weather.

Buck Passing

Rookie Mistake No. 4: Passing the responsibility to someone else.

It is the superintendent's responsibility to make the call. You can require each person in your snow-day information loop to give his or her own recommendation whether to stay open or close, but make it clear the final decision is yours.

When your decision is questioned, don't pass the buck to a colleague. No school district employee is paid enough to assume the responsibility for a snow-day call. Make the call and then, as my mentor used to say, "Enjoy your exalted position." Your colleagues will respect your courage.

Rookie Mistake No. 5: Getting stuck in the snow and being unable to call in to cancel school.

Don't get yourself stuck in the snow somewhere, unable to make the call. Always carry a cell phone so you can contact the district office--and the tow truck. Remember, however, that cell phones don't work in some hilly or mountainous areas.

One particularly icy dawn found the superintendent's official car stopped at the top of the infamous Chicken George Hill. As the car edged over the crest like a novice skier peeking over the ridge of a double black diamond ski run, the slide began.

With brakes locked and the driver's white knuckles gripping the steering wheel, the car stopped only when it reached the ditch at the bottom of the ice-covered hill, totally out of range of any cell phone tower. A school bus was expected to traverse the same hill in 90 minutes. A freezing cold walk up Chicken George taught the superintendent a lesson: Think about the consequences of driving in isolated areas to determine road conditions. It might be more prudent to call someone who lives in that area and can provide a road report without leaving his or her neighborhood.

Varying Conditions

Rookie Mistake No. 6: Making a decision without sufficient road reports from a variety of locations.

It is not enough to simply look out the window at the road in front of your house. It's a good idea to have several people who live in strategic locations drive around their neighborhoods and then call in their road report. In rural areas, some people are already up and out of the house between 4 and 5 in the morning. Find out who they are and establish a communication chain.