Since winter began, Fenton High has had five snow days, but what goes into calling them? The risk of exceeding the amount of allowed snow days doesn’t give a clear answer to this question.
According to Superintendent Heidie Ciesielski, the six days of forgiven time aren’t just used for snow days— they are also used in cases such as power outages, and even extreme heat.
“In the State of Michigan, students must be provided 180 days and 1,098 hours of instruction,” Ciesielski said. “So, sometimes we get into a situation where we may have to add ‘time’ to reach the 1,098 hours, and sometimes we get into a situation where we have to add days to get to the 108 days, because you have to hit both marks as required by state law.”
This strict criteria can make it difficult for the superintendent to decide whether or not a snow day should be called. In some situations, though, it isn’t safe for students to drive on the roads.
“Sadly there isn’t a clear black an white answer to what the requirements are for a snow day,” Ciesielski said. “We try to make decisions on where the weather is when students will be coming to school and coming home from school.”
Ciesielski doesn’t make this decision on her own, though.
“All Superintendents in the county begin conversations about possible weather issues the night before,” Ciesielski said, “and we again start talking about 4:30 a.m. We have snow captains and district representatives that drive the roads, and then I discuss with them the progress and where we are at the 5:30 a.m. time frame.”
Because of the recent frigid temperatures, FHS also had a cold day this school year. In instances like this, it can be unsafe for students to wait at the bus stop considering potential risks such as frostbite, according to FoxWeather.
“A cold day is actually the real feel,” Ciesielski stated. “Anytime the real feel goes between 18-20 degrees below zero, we take notice and then we look at how long it will remain that cold and when that is predicted.”
There is a lot of planning and predicting behind the scenes when it comes to calling a snow day.
“Snow days are fun for everyone except the superintendent,” Ciesielski remarked.
