Living in the Icebox of the Nation during the winter months carries a likely guarantee of experiencing extremely cold temperatures and several feet of snow.
Earlier this week, about 10 inches of snow was dumped on the area only to be followed by a sweep of arctic air that sent temperatures plummeting into the single digits and wind chills pushing them even lower.
When winter rears it’s ugly head, school administrators have a decision to make: to cancel school or not to cancel school.
Many districts across the state Monday and Wednesday delayed the beginning of the school day or canceled classes all together.
In International Falls, however, routine carried on as normal.
“We kept an eye on the weather and felt closing school wasn’t necessary,” said Falls Superintendent Kevin Grover.
An automated call was made Tuesday night to parents informing them administration was watching the weather and if a temperature and wind chill combination equaled minus 50 degrees or colder, school would be delayed. But because Wednesday’s morning temperature and wind chill factor reached about minus 40 degrees, school remained in session.
“We felt we could get students here safely,” Grover said. “And we did. Our buses are housed indoors and for the most part, they all run effectively.”
Keeping school open spurred backlash by some angry parents on social media sites expressing frustration over the superintendent’s decision. One person commented sending kids to school in such cold weather was dangerous and school should be called off. Another parent said she was keeping her children home because of the cold.
And, Grover said, parents have the final say – any day – to keep their children home.
“Parents have the right to make that call more than we do,” he said. “And we will respect that.”
Students who are kept home because of a weather-related issue will not have an absence counted against them, he added.
Independent School District No. 361 has a three-part system to determine school closings due to weather: road surface conditions, visibility, and actual air temperature. Common sense dictates if the roads are iced over and there is little opportunity to gravel and salt on the bus routes, school will close regardless of temperature and visibility. By the same token, if the roads are clear and dry, but visibility is under a quarter of mile, school would be close regardless of temperature.
Temperature is the most difficult criterion to use, according to the policy. It says if there is an air temperature of negative 40 degrees or colder – not including a wind chill – school will be closed.
But how cold is too cold?
“Is there really a different between 40 below and 45 below?” Grover said. “Or even 45 below and 50 below? From our standpoint...there isn’t much of an increased risk.”
On the same note, the superintendent said making the decision to close school is not just about a temperature reading. He said there are some students who might miss out on a meal if the school shuts down.
“We have a lot of students who rely on us for breakfast,” he said. “If we announce a two-hour delay, that student might not eat breakfast that day. And they count on us for structure and a warm place to be during the day, We have to consider those circumstances, too.”
Better weather forecasting has made it easier to make a school closing decision, and automated phone calls and social media can get the word out faster than ever.
“We try to give people as much warning as we can,” Grover said, adding the importance of parents giving the school their current phone number.
All in all, Grover couldn’t stress enough the need for parents to dress their children appropriately when sending them to school during the winter months.
“Be ready,” he said. “When it’s cold out, dress you child for the weather. A lot of the elementary kids are bundled up, but we need the older students to dress warmly, too.”
