School delay because of temperature

@Bev1986 (1425)
United States
January 26, 2007 7:59am CST
Here in Pennsylvania, in our county, all the schools had a two hour delay for school today because of the wind chill factor. Any time the temperature is around 0 and the wind chill is below zero, they have a two hour delay. We live in a very rural area, so some of the kids are standing outside waiting for the buses for quite some time or have quite a walk to get to their bus. So when the temperature drops to 0, they don't want the kids outside for that long. Does this happen in your area? Tell me where you live and if you agree or disagree with your schools policy on delays during extremely cold weather.
13 people like this
38 responses
@KrisNY (7590)
• United States
26 Jan 07
I'm in Western NY about 2 hours away from you if you are in Erie. They do the same thing here- Delay 1 hour to start then usually 2-- and most of the time cancel for the day. Honestly I wish they'd just cancel it at the beginning- Its hard on working parents when they delay and then cancel.. plus then the kiddies could sleep in. We haven't had any snow days or cold days yet this year- Today would have been a good one but the kids were already off due to Professional Development Day- and next Friday for record keeping day! Geeeshhh to be a kid again!
@mari61960 (4893)
• United States
26 Jan 07
I agree, that is really a pain and a problem for some working parents. Better to keep the school open and let the parents make the descision of whether or not to send them.
2 people like this
@mari61960 (4893)
• United States
26 Jan 07
I'm in south eastern Massachusetts and this moring it was only 6 degrees with a windchil of -10 with gusts up to 40 mph. They didn't delay school and don't usually. When it was that cold out we were either driven or kept home as a child. I wouldn't make my child wait for a bus or walk in that cold. The danger of frostbite is too severe. I don't see much sense in a delay unless it's going to be warmer 2 hours later.
@Bev1986 (1425)
• United States
26 Jan 07
I think that's the hope... that it will be warmer in 2 hours.
@emeraldisle (13139)
• United States
26 Jan 07
When I was growing up in Michigan we had some days off due to the wind chill factor. The snow wasn't really bad but between the cold temperatures and then the wind chill factor on top of it they didn't want the kids standing out like that either. I lived in a rural area as well and the wait for the bus could be a bit of time. I think it's wise on their part to think like this and realize that just because kids are bundled up it's not always safe to have them out there in those colds. What happens if the bus breaks down and they end up waiting out there for an hour or more not knowing the bus is a mile out of sight? No when it's that cold kids should stay inside and the schools should close. It's better for the kids.
• Hong Kong
27 Jan 07
That is not a good news.And I think it's too cold for kids to go out like that. I am living in Hong Kong.And this area does not snow and always more than 0c so it never snows.And quite warm.May be those should give a chance for kids.Because the transportation is going to be messy.
2 people like this
@kathy77 (7486)
• Australia
26 Jan 07
No this does not happen where I live but I used to live in the country area and the temperatures did drop to 0, but when this occured they always had buses right outside the school, so that the children were never kept out in the cold, I agree with our school policies as they must do the right thing in regards to the children.
2 people like this
@Kaldonya (277)
• United States
26 Jan 07
When I used to live in Iowa, the schools there would do a delayed start time if the temperatures were that cold. It's not safe for kids to stand outside waiting for a bus or to walk to school when it's that cold. You never know what a child is wearing (or not wearing) after they leave the house, and the school officials want to make sure that no child is exposed to extreme colds for too long. I think it is very smart. Where I live now (down south), I don't think it'll ever get that cold to do so. This morning it was 22 degrees and my kids walked to school. Last week we had icey rain and school was cancelled.
2 people like this
• United States
27 Jan 07
snow days! and delayed opening. We had those when I was in NJ and lots of them. Another reason why I could not work a regular 9-5 job there. The only thing I think a delay is helpful for really is if the roads are icey it gives the road workers time to clear the road so that people can get the kids to school and the busses on the road. Also for the teachers who may be comming from different areas with all the traffic.
1 person likes this
• United States
27 Jan 07
I also Live in Pennsylvania! Helloo neighbor!And yes i think its a great idea!! personally i wouldnt never let my child wait out in that extreme cold..i will drive him to the bus stop..heck id take him to school if i didnt live so far away..and where i live its rediculous how far they have to walk! But im glad they do this..it would be insane for them to make them wait in the freezing cold..
1 person likes this
• United States
27 Jan 07
I live in California, we do not really get snow where I live.
1 person likes this
@amitavroy (4819)
• India
27 Jan 07
This used to happen a lot when I was at school the place where I live was very cold and generally during the winter there was huge amount of fog in front of the school and also on the roads.visibility was a big problem and due to that be used to get holidays very frequently. And then I is to come back and go straight into the blankets and and enjoy the temperature
1 person likes this
@7nicole1 (1633)
• Canada
26 Jan 07
Must be nice because here in Canada the streets have to have ice on them or over 2 feet of snow before the kids get a day off from their school. I guess its so different here because we are so used to the tempature and all the changes.
1 person likes this
• United States
27 Jan 07
yes certainly on moons pic in the lite of Globes
• India
27 Jan 07
our college was closed for 10 days as there were floods due to heavy rain and you dont believe that our college's groung floor was under water for two days and all the computers and every thing was destroyed causing a damage of approxi Rs 100000
1 person likes this
@Lakota12 (42600)
• United States
26 Jan 07
sounds like a good idea to me but if its that cold they should call a snow day awful to have kids stand out in that kind of temp
1 person likes this
@rlshaw (871)
• United States
26 Jan 07
I think that is good that they delay school because of the cold.. I live in upstate Ny and its 10 below this morning and with wind chill its suppose to be 24 below.. Way to cold for the children to be outside
1 person likes this
@DRoddy77 (1776)
• United States
26 Jan 07
I think it's good because a lot of kids walk to school and it's not safe for them to be walking in such frigid temperatures! It has happened here a few times that they close because of the temp. but not very often.
1 person likes this
@delina123 (2453)
• Canada
27 Jan 07
We stil had school today and it was below 0 try -34 and they dont cancel school until -40. Last week we had -37 and just kept my kids home from school to cold The only delay we had was the buses but my kids are walking students and there was no way I was going outside that cold because I would have to take my 1 year old son out in that. I just think it is crazy that they would not cancel school.
@delina123 (2453)
• Canada
27 Jan 07
Sorry I forgot to tell you that I live in New Brunswick, Canada
@seabreeze (659)
• China
27 Jan 07
It is very cool.We live at south china,there are a bit warm.We wish pennsylvania's temperature that to going up!
@bogdyyyyy (380)
• Romania
27 Jan 07
What a good news for the children . I want to close my school for some day . I am going at school 7 hours a day and 4 hours we do nothing .
• United States
26 Jan 07
I lived in PA and this happed a few times (pittsburgh Area) but thoe problem isnt the kids waiting, it the buses, they take longer to warm up, my dad used to work for our school district, they let you think that because they dont want the kids waiting outside but al honesty it has to do more with the buses
• United States
26 Jan 07
Yeah I'm sure they had a harder time starting this morning too. My husband's truck almost didn't start because of the temps this morning so I can imagine the buses were a bit difficult.
@shaggin (71573)
• United States
6 Dec 10
I dont know what the actual school policy is but usually when its very snowy out in town its really bad about 10 miles from here where there are a lot of students living. So even if the roads arent bad here they could be very dangerous in the surrounding towns. Today the roads here were bad and even worse 10 miles from here yet we didnt even have a two hour delay. It was ridiculous. I had an appointment to get an ultrasound 1 1/2 from here and I rescheduled the appointment so I wouldnt have to take my kids on the roads. Everyone is complaining about the kids not having a two hour delay today.