RICHMOND, Va. — Winter weather has disrupted many Central Virginia schools’ schedules for a third week in a row.
Wednesday morning, many families woke up expecting delayed starts to the school day. But those delays would soon switch to school closings.
Richmond, Henrico, Hanover and Chesterfield all updated families of the changes between 7 and 8:45 a.m.
Parents shared mixed reactions on the CBS 6 Facebook posts updating the public of the closures.
LaCienega Boulebardez wrote “This is causing us parents a delay in getting to work on time, they knew this was going to be the case last night, yet making sudden changes this morning is inconveniencing us even more”
Kaitlynn Mckoy shared she felt it was becoming ridiculous, “knowing children missed a whole week already of school you would think they would have prepared for future snowfall like today.”
Stephanie Mathena shared that she felt it was a smart call because she drove home Tuesday night and saw ice, while Bernitta Young applauded the districts prioritizing safety saying, “that’s why we choose people to be in charge so they can make those decisions, everyone will not agree all the time!”
Central Virginia school districts say closures come down to road conditions and the calls made by experts.
They determine if ice is on roads that would prohibit cars, buses and walkers from safely making it to school.
School leaders have to make overall decisions for many counties that spread hundreds of miles.
Richmond Superintendent Jason Kamras said their road assessments teams saw that narrow side streets especially on the Southside posed dangers Wednesday morning. They determined that conditions would not improve because temperatures were not rising above freezing.
He also said he had to consider that many staff from bus drivers, teachers and support staff called out because they live outside the city where conditions were even worse.
“This one was a very close call. Announcements made the morning of school are extremely difficult and I did not make this one lightly. I take full responsibility for it and deeply apologize for any inconvenience it caused our families,” wrote Kamras.
Henrico County posted pictures on their social media showing families pre-dawn road conditions. Their teams reported unsafe road conditions for bus travel and icy school parking lots in several eastern areas of the county.
In Chesterfield they found concerning conditions particularly in the southern part of the county. The division said they make their decisions working with law enforcement, VDOT and county officials.
“Careful consideration is taken when a decision is made to alter any aspect of our schedule. When that happens, we communicate with staff members and families as quickly as possible because we know even small changes to school schedules are disruptive. Unfortunately, weather forecasts are not necessarily 100% accurate — and weather can be unpredictable and change at inconvenient times,” wrote a spokesperson for the district.
Chesterfield schools said the additional day off won’t require them to change their calendar because their current schedule has more instructional hours what is required by Virginia.
Hanover reported dangerous road conditions in the far Eastern portion of the county. A district spokesperson wrote that they only want to close when they can be sure there is ice and snow impacting roadways.
That can be difficult because of the unpredictability of the weather and sometimes closure calls can’t be made until they check early morning road conditions in Hanover.
A Hanover spokesperson said the decisions are complex because the division covers over 400 square miles.
“One of the biggest considerations is the inter connectivity of many of our programs and transportation where students travel across the division from their home school to other schools, such as JROTC, Advance College Academies, The Hanover Center for Trades and Technology, and the Specialty Center at Hanover High School. For these and other reasons, we operate as one unified school division, and any delay or closure impacts all of our schools,” wrote a spokesperson.
The district has already made adjustments to the calendar based on closures earlier this month. They said the impact of Wednesday’s closure will be shared in the coming days.
Details on closures or late starts can be viewed here.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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Central Virginia is no stranger to unpredictable weather patterns, which can often lead to tough decisions regarding school closures or delays. So, what exactly goes into the decision-making process when it comes to determining whether schools should remain open or close their doors for the day?
First and foremost, the safety of students, staff, and faculty is the top priority. School officials closely monitor weather reports and road conditions to assess the potential risks of traveling to and from school. Factors such as snow accumulation, icy roads, and extreme temperatures all play a role in determining whether it is safe for schools to operate as usual.
Another key consideration is the ability of school buses to safely transport students to school. If road conditions are deemed too hazardous for buses to navigate, officials may opt to delay or cancel school altogether.
Additionally, the impact of a school closure on the community as a whole is taken into account. Parents and caregivers rely on schools to provide a safe environment for their children while they are at work, so officials must weigh the potential disruption to families when making their decision.
Ultimately, the decision to delay or close schools in Central Virginia is a complex one that takes into consideration a variety of factors. By prioritizing the safety and well-being of students and staff, school officials strive to make the best choice possible in challenging weather conditions.
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