Message from the Superintendent
THIS WEEK'S WEATHER DECISIONS --- UPON FURTHER REVIEW . . .
I had a parent leave a voicemail this morning (Tuesday) asking to have me post my rationale on the web site for delaying school start time by two hours. She stated that school should have been closed again on Tuesday because the weather conditions were as dangerously cold as Monday. I realize we will never make everyone happy on school closing decisions, but I am amenable to share my reasoning behind it.

Like I said last week in my weather article, the factors used for deciding on closing for severely cold weather are based on the National Weather Service's wind chill forecast and their corresponding frostbite guideline chart. Consideration to delay the start of school or cancel school will be triggered if the National Weather Service projects a wind chill temperature (-40 or greater) with a corresponding frostbite stage in the 5-10 minute range.

We closed school on Monday, January 27 because the forecasted wind chill between 6:00 and 9:00 a.m. was going to be greater than -40 degrees with a corresponding frostbite stage in the 5-10 minute range. What happened? The wind chill in our three communities (New Prague, Lonsdale, and Elko New Market) from 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. was -41 to -44 degrees. It obviously was the right decision to close school on Monday.

On Monday evening, the forecasted wind chill from three weather sites was in the low to mid thirties with a corresponding frostbite stage in the 30 minute range. Many larger school districts near us closed school for Tuesday. We decided to delay the school start time by two hours based on the National Weather Service's wind chill forecast and their corresponding frostbite guideline chart.

What happened? On Tuesday morning between 6:00 and 9:00 a.m., the wind chill ranged from -16 and -35 degrees with a corresponding frostbite stage in the 30 minute range. At 9:00 a.m., it was -13 with 7 mph wind in New Prague which equates to a -22 wind chill. In Lonsdale and Elko New Market, it was -11 with a 6 mph wind which equates to a -16 wind chill.

Did we make the right decision? I believe we did. Despite my efforts to be transparent with defined logic, I realize there are always people who will disagree with my decisions.

As I have said in a prior communication, we are going to err on the side of safety when it comes to our students – specifically for the safety of children who are waiting at bus stops or walking to school. If parents disagree with the district's decision to have school, they may always keep their children home, and it would be an excused absence.