The
determination to close or delay school is a difficult one that involves
assessment of a variety of factors from several sources in a compressed time period.
The primary consideration is always the safety of students and bus drivers. The
most important secondary consideration is the impact on instructional time for
students.
The
FCPS Transportation Department's knowledge of developing inclement weather
begins with current status reports. We may receive these reports hourly if the
situation warrants. Staff also has computer access to real-time radar images of
weather movement. In addition, calls to school transportation staffs in
neighboring counties — in the direction from which the weather is coming —
provide helpful details about the conditions they are experiencing.
On
mornings when conditions are in question, staff typically disperses throughout
All
of this effort is designed to determine — by 5 a.m. — if we will be able to
transport thousands of students to school that day and whether walkers can
navigate their routes within acceptable safety standards.
Beyond
the principal concern of safety, we also want to maximize instructional time.
Years of experience have demonstrated that the procedures outlined above are
the most practical methods to address student safety and instructional
concerns.
It
has been suggested that FCPS consider changing this procedure so that we
announce delays the night before, then re-assess the situation
the next morning. Experience has taught
us there are many occasions when forecasts the night before predict far worse
conditions than actually materialize the next morning.
The