How cold is too cold? Here’s how two KC area school districts decide to cancel classes
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School districts across the Kansas City metro have canceled school or moved to virtual learning because of freezing temperatures this month.
While most schools remained open Friday, a few closed as arctic air brought in harsh wind chills reaching as low as 25 below zero, according to the National Weather Service.
So how cold is too cold for school?
School district officials say they weigh many factors when deciding to shut down schools or move to an alternative form of learning for the day.
Here’s what we learned from two school districts in the Kansas City area, Shawnee Mission School District in Johnson County and Kansas City Public Schools.
How cold does it have to be to cancel school?
The temperature is one thing schools look at, but it’s not the only factor, according to David Smith, chief communications officer with Shawnee Mission School District.
The same temperature with wind, no wind, precipitation and no precipitation can be different, Smith said. The quality of the roads if they are covered with snow is another factor, as is kids having to wait outside for their bus to arrive and if the bus can even get to their destination on time.
The Shawnee Mission School District has to know if they can get students and staff to and from school safely and if they know they can do both of those things, Smith said they expect to be open.
“If we know we can do both of those things, then we should be open because we’ve told parents that these are the days we’d be open,” Smith said. “If we can’t do either of those things, then we really shouldn’t have school.”
School districts in Johnson County will talk with each other about closing schools because a lot of the teachers live in different districts than where they teach. The decisions they make impact each other, Smith said.
Kansas City Public Schools
Kansas City Public Schools also examine all aspects carefully, including the outside temperature, when weighing whether to cancel or delay school, Shain Bergan, public relations coordinator, said. Their goal is to offer the highest quality education to students while also keeping everyone safe.
“There is no specific temperature or wind chill threshold, but our Inclement Weather Planning Team takes many factors into account, including road conditions, bus stop temperatures, the safety of parking lots and school grounds, and the ability of our school buildings and staff to carry on regular school operations,” Bergan said.
The district’s Inclement Weather Planning Team is made up of personnel from their district leadership, facilities and transportation departments, along with leadership from Student Transportation of America, the school district’s bus vendor.
These team members analyze several safety factors when inclement weather arrives, according to a document shared by Bergan:
- Personnel drive the streets personally, taking into account particular traffic areas that may affect our school transportation and our families who drive, along with road closures and how routes are impacted.
- Facilities personnel examine building, sidewalk, and parking lot conditions for safety concerns, while taking into account whether the schools can operate in an appropriate capacity given the conditions.
- The team takes into account conditions for students who utilize bus stops, as they may be exposed to potentially dangerous temperatures.
- The team reports their findings and potential vulnerabilities to the Superintendent, who uses all information at her disposal to determine the best decision for the education and safety of KCPS students and staff.
Kansas City Public Schools have Alternative Methods of Instruction that can take a snow day’s place. These are days in which students learn from home with teachers via video conference calls. Students receive technology from the school for them to bring home so they can participate and learn, according to the district.
It’s similar to the virtual learning employed during the school district’s COVID protocols.
So far this school year, they have used two virtual learning days and have three left that are built in for the school year. The district has also used its two snow days built into the calendar.
Schools in the Shawnee Mission School District do not have virtual learning days, and they have used four snow days this school year.
This story was originally published January 19, 2024 at 2:08 PM.
