Schools closed, February 13

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From the IPSD website:

Because of the weather, all IPSD 204 schools will be closed on Tuesday,
February 13.

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Closing schools a guessing game
By Howard Crouse
Indian Prairie Unit District 204
Posted Friday, February 16, 2007


Quick read: Given the quirks of our weather and uncertainty of our forecasts, it’s never easy to know when a winter storm truly will justify closing schools.

I am writing today’s column on Tuesday.

By today, you will have a better sense of whether Tuesday should have been a snow day than I do as I write this column. I sincerely hope the weather got bad enough to justify having no school.

All day Monday, my fellow superintendents and I watched the weather reports. We all agree that calling off school is one of the more difficult decisions we make, and we get to make it based on predictions from people who are generally acknowledged to be wrong more often than not.

When you compound the inexact science of weather forecasting with the mass hysteria with which it is broadcast on the television news, we all start to get nervous.

It doesn’t help that the Chicago area has at least four separate weather zones, so we often hear ranges like we did on Monday of between 2 inches and 12 inches of snow, with lake-effect snow to boot.

The first possible big snow of any Chicago winter reaches mythic proportions by the end of the 10 p.m. news. The day before it hits, you can feel the excitement in the air at each of our buildings as the thought of an unexpected holiday turns into a rumored possibility.

I think the adults start putting little flakes together, our students pick up the snowball, the excitement accelerates and suddenly we have an avalanche. By the end of the school day before a winter storm, the parents are now involved.

The guessing game begins.

Will we have school or not? What if the buses don’t run on time? What will I do with the kids, especially if I have to work? Why can’t the darn school just stay open? Why are the schools staying open when I don’t think my child should go out? What if a miracle occurs and there is school, but work is canceled? What does it take for the superintendent to call off school?

And then, more often than not, the major storm ends up producing just a light dusting.

On Monday of this week, we began preparations. The snow was to hit at exactly the worst time, around 5 a.m.

In anticipation, we canceled the many activities that take place before the high school day starts. Since our high school students and staff, our bus drivers and our food service staff start arriving at our buildings between 5:30 and 6:30 a.m., we really try to make a decision by 5:30 a.m.

The weather can change dramatically between 5:30 and 9:05 a.m. when our elementary schools begin, but we have to make the call for all 29,000 students at the same time. Our building operations and transportation staffs provide me with up-to-the-minute information. Our snow removal contractor stays on top of the weather radar.

On Tuesday morning, in addition to being superintendents, we became weather forecasters. What will happen with the storm after we make the decision? Will it justify the decision?

We have children in many different situations. I confess to a predisposition to keep schools open, because that is where people expect their children to be safe and supervised during a school day. It has to be extremely serious to close schools.

When it is just wind chill, we can use an arbitrarily selected wind-chill factor to use in making a decision. But when it snows, it is far more arbitrary.

After all, this is Chicago.

And so the second-guessing game begins.

I hope you and your children enjoyed the snow day. We will make it up on June 11.

[momto4]

Where were the Crouse school closing and Tips for the new guy articles published?

I'm curious why this sort of article doesn't show up in the Beacon News, the only major newspaper covering Aurora, where many Indian Prairie families live. I guess if it's in the Daily Herald that makes sense but I still think if Howie writes an article of general interest to District 204 families it should either show up in my newspaper or my e-mail or one of the school or district newsletters that I get on a regular basis.