The USD 259 superintendent Alicia Thompson decides whether school is canceled due to weather, or if school is still in session. She bases her decision on whether or not there is actual snow or ice on the ground, and how bad the city streets are. If school buses are unable to transport students to and from school, then school could be cancelled. The condition of the heating and power systems in the buildings also plays a role in whether or not school gets cancelled.
Some students say they think that school should be cancelled due to the weather more often.
“There should be more snow days,” junior Alexis Walker said.
Students also claim that it is dangerous to drive to and from school in wintery conditions because it is difficult to see patches of ice on the road.
“People don’t realize that not everybody is as experienced with the snow as people may think, because we have such a strange climate in Kansas. You really don’t know what’s going to go on,” said senior Antonio Long Jr.
High school parking lots can become especially dangerous with student drivers driving on ice. Not having much experience driving on ice can be very dangerous for the driver and others on the road.
“There are more accidents in the parking lot,” sophomore Maria Peschka said. “Ice causes accidents.”
Not all students drive or get dropped off at school in a car or bus. Some parents are not able to drop their students off at school, so some kids walk to school on a regular basis.
“If it’s too cold and your parents make you walk to school, you could get hypothermia,” Walker said.
Other students think that if it is below a certain temperature, or if the roads are not clear then school should be cancelled.
“If it’s so cold that the bus kids are freezing outside [school should be cancelled],” said sophomore Hannah Copeland.
It can also be very dangerous walking on ice to and from cars and buildings. It is easy to slip and fall, and possibly injure yourself.
“You learn what your pain tolerance is. I feel that if we are going to still have school when there is ice and snow and sleet on the ground, then the school should take more of an effort to make sure the sidewalks and driveway and parking lots are completely clear so people don’t have accidents. Both with their car and body,” said Long.
When school is still in session, but the weather is bad, some students choose not to show up. It can be difficult to learn when only half of the class comes to school.
“Half of the kids are gone, and so the teachers don’t teach anything because they have no one to teach to,” said Copeland.
Some students have been in car accidents while driving in wintry conditions.
“One time me and my mother slid off the road. It wasn’t really bad because there were not injuries, and the car had no damages, so it was a pretty successful crash,” said freshman Dylan Rinehart.
One student said that if it is difficult, or dangerous to get out of neighborhoods, or onto city streets, to get to school than school should be cancelled.
“If neighborhood streets aren’t clear, there should be no school,” said Long.