[easyrotator]erc_34_1392838930[/easyrotator]Due to nights of snow and freezing temperatures, inclement weather has forced Parkway to close for seven and a half days (at time of press) in the 2013-14 school year.  However, many remain unaware of what district officials examine prior to making a final decision on the status of school.
“If snow and ice are in forecast and/or has fallen, I go out at 3:30 a.m. and drive Parkway primary roads, secondary roads and neighbor streets to determine if they are safe for school bus transportation,” Parkway Director of Transportation Mr. Will Rosa said.  “I also spend time communicating with colleagues from other districts doing the same thing.  We all report the information up to our respective superintendents.”
After driving the streets and walking the sidewalks, officials must determine if it is safe for students to be in session the following day.
“Usually, there is a conference call with the superintendent, deputy superintendent, myself, and the facilities and communications directors to discuss impending weather,” Rosa said.  “Area superintendents also have a conference call to discuss the same.”
In addition to the Parkway conference call, there is typically a superintendent discussion with local school district leaders including Rockwood, Mehlville and Kirkwood. While street conditions are closely monitored, temperatures and wind chill are also taken into consideration.
“The weather forecast is monitored the day and night before,” Rosa said.  “If snow has or is falling in significant quantities and other factors that could contribute to unsafe roads look like they will be present then we try to reach a decision the night before.  Temperature and wind chill are harder to precisely determine when it becomes unsafe.  We will err on the side of safety for all weather-related events.”
While snowfall plays a key role in determining if the conditions are safe, the wind chill can also factor into the decision.  According to Parkway’s Director of Communications Mr. Paul Tandy, the use of the National Weather Service’s wind chill chart also plays into the equation.
“Any time the calm temperature or wind chill temperature gets below -20 degrees we will consider closing school,” Tandy said.  “This is because exposed skin could experience frostbite within 30 minutes. While most students don’t wait for the bus anywhere near 30 minutes, we feel this is the safest way to go. We also take other factors into consideration such as the weather forecast and current conditions on the streets and sidewalks.”
With many local districts starting to implement a snow schedule, Parkway has been talking about a possible addition of a delayed start for two years.  Currently, the district has a delayed start schedule for professional development that occurs on the first Wednesday of every month.
“With the implementation of the delayed starts a few years ago, the structures are in place to implement a similar schedule for snow days,” Tandy said.  “Dr. (Keith) Marty actually raised the question with area superintendents two years ago, and they are discussing it as a group this year. Dr. Marty is also discussing it with our school board. If they decide to implement a snow schedule, it probably wouldn’t begin until next year to allow time to plan and communicate iwt with the community.”
Until this schedule is approved, officials will continue to look at the conditions as St. Louis approaches the second part of winter.  According to Tandy, Marty tries to make the calls regarding the status of school as quickly as possible.
“He prefers to call off the night before if at all possible to give families plenty of time to plan,” Tandy said.  “However, we do not send snow day phone calls to homes any later than 9 p.m., so the decision needs to be made around 8 p.m. to get the phone calls completed in time. Most of the time, the weather conditions are still uncertain the night before. So most of the time, the superintendent can’t make the decision until the morning.”
However, winter weather does not always make the timing easy for district officials.  According to Assistant Principal Mr. Travis Fast, who lives approximately 40 miles from school, the inclement weather can provide a difficult challenge reaching the school on some regular start days.
“I definitely have been late before because of the weather,” Fast said.  “There was probably a time where I was an hour and a half late last year because it was just snarled traffic.”
While snow covered streets can provide a difficult challenge for administrators, the potential snow schedule is an asset that could help alleviate some of the problems.
“I think having some more flexibility is a good thing,” Fast said.  “There are those mornings where it seems like by a couple of hours after we would normally start, the roads are clear.  I think that it’s a good tool to have. I am all for having that as a possible tool that we can use to stay on schedule throughout the year.”