What Goes Into Calling A Snow Day

by Jeff Rusack, Reporter
December 10, 2012 5:39 PM


For most kids a snowstorm means snowball fights and making a snowman. It also means time to watch the crawl at the bottom of your television screen to see if there's a snow day.  For about a dozen school districts around the area that was exactly the case Monday.

Playing in nearly a foot of powder is a much better alternative to being cooped up in a classroom for most children. While the snow has already covered the school and the roads, Rick Weber, the superintendent of the Flandreau School District has to consider a lot before keeping the halls of his high school silent on a Monday.          

“When they advise no travel and the interstate is closed, it’s kind of a no brainer,” said Weber.  

Among calling other superintendents throughout the area, Weber will also ask county officials about road conditions.   

“I called the county sheriff this morning to see if the advisory was still in effect for Moody County and he was on the way to the interstate to get someone out of the ditch,” said Weber.

While some kids rejoice, the extended weekend for a school district creates headaches for those with planned events.

“We had an elementary concert scheduled for tonight and we don't get in our athletic practices,” said Weber.  

And for most school districts in South Dakota, wide-open spaces don't make anything easier.  

“On the south end of the district, we got about 6 inches and the north end, we got 10-12 inches. So, when you are looking at a district 25 miles north to south, a lot of things can change,” said Weber.  

But sometimes the decision to have school during wintry weather isn't so clear-cut.  

“There are many times when you teeter on the edge. And again, the safety of the kids and the safety of everything comes into play and it's always better to be safe than sorry,” said Weber.

Thirteen school districts cancelled school today and nearly 70 had a delay of some sort.