Every year winter weather affects schools being in session. School districts must have plans in place in order to keep students and staff safe. 

“Usually on the weekend I start looking ahead to the forecast for the week to see what the weather is going to look like.  When I notice it looks like the weather could be adverse on one of the days, I plan on watching it closely starting the day before,” said Chuck Lambert, USD 394 Superintendent. 

If bad weather is in the forecast then superintendents in the area stay in communication and wait for the weather to reveal itself. Once the weather comes about a decision is made for the upcoming school day and the safety of everyone in the school district. 

“I then talk to other Metro Superintendents and then we play the waiting game to see if the adverse weather is actually going to happen,” said Lambert. “When it looks like it is going to put our students and staff in jeopardy in the commute to school, I then make the decision to close it or not.”

In past years the district has had to use multiple snow days and even gotten to the point where there was talk of adding on at the end of the year to gain back some lost days. This year was looking promising with the mild weather but with snow now on the ground the final day of school could still be the 20th. 

“If it is a mild winter, in the past I know the district has looked at shortening the school year a little bit,” said Lambert. “That would be something we would think about, but given we had nine snow days last year and five the year before my guess is the adverse weather will happen this school year.”