When School Resumes After A Storm

After a major snow storm, some changes in regular routines may be needed. Depending on the severity of the storm, ongoing snow removal efforts may dictate that parents should take additional measures to ensure safe transportation of their students to and from school. When school resumes after a serious snow storm, the district strongly encourages parents to observe the following:

• Assess your child’s route to school to determine if they can safely walk. If not, parents are encouraged to drop-off and pick-up students from school. The process of clearing streets, driveways and parking lots can leave many sidewalks throughout the city impassable. While district crews often work around the clock to clear parking lots and sidewalks around school buildings, it is possible that not all sidewalks will be clear by school time. In addition, the district cannot control sidewalks on private or residential property and cannot clear these pathways even if they are adjacent to the school building.
• Consider driving high school students to school or arranging for car pools as there may not be enough parking spaces to accommodate all students with parking permits.
• Leave for school 10-15 minutes earlier than usual to allow time to negotiate through parking lots that may have substantial piles of snow. Visibility can be reduced, and in the interest of safety, all are encouraged to take their time and drive carefully.
• Encourage your children not to play on large piles of snow in district parking lots or along streets. While large snow mounds created by snow removal efforts are tempting for kids, they also pose a safety hazard from sliding/falling into traffic. In addition, snow removal crews may be working to remove snow piles with heavy machinery. Please make your students aware of these dangers and ensure they understand where it is not safe to play.

We thank you for your consideration, patience and assistance in these matters as operations are returned to normal after a winter storm.