Dang! It’s cold outside!

Remember the cold weather Iowa experienced a couple of weeks ago? The mornings when students walked to school in brutal cold, whether from their cars in the parking lot to school, or from their actual houses to the school? 

Lots of people wondered: how in the heck is school still running?

The decision to delay or cancel is guided by the difference between a cold temperature/wind chill advisory and a a cold temperature/wind chill warning.

“The safety of our students, staff members, and families is a top priority,” Dr. Brad Buck, Superintendent, explained to The Torch. “While reviewing the cold weather decision for the last several years, the decision to delay or cancel occurred when there was a warning rather than an advisory. If it is an advisory or warmer, generally school has run on time.”

Once a warning occurs, then, depending on the projected temperatures for the day, the school district may make a decision to delay or cancel.

“I am the decider in whether schools get canceled or delayed, though when it comes to conditions with snow and ice, I consult the Director of Transportation,” Buck said.

Together, they consider the timing of the storm, along with the ability of the city and county to get the roads clear relative to the beginning or the end of the school day. 

The decision making doesn’t please everybody. Some students are still angry about a few weeks ago when school stayed in session.

“I was mad because we have students that walk to school and they could easily be harmed from such cold temperatures,” Sarah Poyer, so., said.  

Some students also think that a delay or cancellation is fine and it’d be better if school just went a little longer into June.  

“Other students may not like it, but I would rather go into school warm and not in negative temperatures,” Lilly Spaulding, so., said.