Qualifications for snow days are unclear, need revising

During the winter season, each student anxiously awaits the first snow day of the school year— an unexpected surprise and break from the stress of the year. Nearly every school day in which there is snow, whispers of “snow day” echo around the halls and social media. Although sometimes prematurely cancelled, on other occasions it is warranted. In certain circumstances, rare enough as is, a snow day is not necessarily given where it is due. With this in mind, what are the specific snow day procedures and criteria?

Dr. Antoinette Turnquist, Chief Operations Officer in the Omaha Public School district, referred to a synopsis of snow day procedures. Everything begins with administrative staff members being assigned to maintain communication with and among the following: National Weather Service, Douglas County Roads Dispatcher, Metro Area Transit, Student Transportation of America, OPS Student Transportation Vehicle Maintenance and Superintendent Mark Evans. Each of these sources is consulted throughout the decision-making period.

Furthermore, OPS completes an evaluation of street conditions from 3 to 4 a.m. in the south, southwest, north and northwest portions of the city. District Operational Services Transportation also test drive streets during the same period and the Transportation vehicle maintenance staff begin checking all buses to make certain they will readily start.

Lastly, between 3:30 and 4 a.m., the following activities take place: OPS district communications access updates from the National Weather Service, district operational services buildings and grounds staff obtain information from supervisory staff with governmental responsibilities for public streets and roads and check on what the City Street Department is seeing on its radar, and operational services transportation staff check information with Metro Area Transit and Student Transportation of America. All information gathered is provided to the OPS Superintendent just prior to 5:00 a.m.

Although this procedure may seem complete in certain aspects, some are left uncovered. For one, as the evaluation of weather takes place between 3-4 a.m. in the morning, most people do not leave their house to go to school until at least six meaning enough time is left for the streets to worsen before school is called. In two hours, or more in many cases, enough snow or ice can develop causing the trek to school making it more treacherous than the officials initially expected. In order to combat this, the roads should continually be checked until five or six.

Additionally, no specific criterion for a snow day is depicted. Quantitative measurements must be included in the conditions needed for snow days. A map published in the Huffington Post showed that typically three to six inches is needed to cancel school in the Omaha area.

However, in the right conditions, even one inch can cause troubles for buses and those driving to school As a result, ice on streets and the period in which snowfalls should be taken into consideration. For example, a steady

snow fall throughout the night gives snow plows an opportunity to clear the roads; however, on the other hand, a sudden down pour may catch them unprepared and unable to efficiently plow all the roads to offer students and parents a quick and safe ride to school.

In the future, Omaha Public Schools officials should revise the “snow day” emergency so that there is no gray space and specific quantitative measurements are included. This way, those driving to school are not found scared for their safety on the suddenly icy and snow covered streets. Though a student’s education should take a front seat to most aspects their life, one’s safety should not feel as if their safety is in jeopardy on the way to school.