(This article first appeared in the Jan/Feb 2008 OA News, the district's newsletter.)
Making the call on snow days
What goes into the decision?
“Ever wonder what goes into calling a snow day?” writer and TV personality Andy Rooney might ask.
If you have, you’re probably in the majority.
The first step is the easiest. Get up mighty early in the morning. When the weather outside is frightful, the day begins in the neighborhood of 4 a.m.
Here at Owego Apalachin, Tony Quaranta, transportation supervisor, gets a call from AccuWeather forecasters inState College , Pa.
“Between 4:30 and 5:15, Tony will have a pretty good sense of what to expect. He’ll have people out there, driving the roads, especially the worst hills, to personally assess things,” said Dr. Bill Russell, OA superintendent.
“All of the area highway crews do a tremendous job of plowing and treating our roads,” Dr. Russell added. “And our bus drivers are as skilled and professional as you can get. Our safety record is outstanding.”
Around 5:20, Dr. Russell said, he’ll receive a call from Dr. James Coon, superintendent for Union-Endicott, who will pass along updates from Broome County schools, such as Maine-Endwell, Vestal, Binghamton, Johnson City and, of course, U-E.
“That call is important, since it often predicts what BOCES will do. Those five large districts send the highest number of students to Broome-Tioga BOCES,” Dr. Russell said. “As they go, often BOCES will go, given the large number of students and staff residing in those communities. Part of our decision is predicated on whether our students will be able to attend BOCES programs.”
Other superintendents around the region consult with one another via e-mail and phone calls.
“Of course, each district makes a local decision based on conditions they’re experiencing, but it’s helpful to get a regional perspective,” Dr. Russell said.
At about 5:30, Dr. Russell consults with Quaranta and Bernie Dolan, OA associate superintendent, at which time a decision is made. Will there be a one-hour delay? Two hours? Business as usual? Or will OA close?
“We try to make the decision by 5:45 because our first buses roll at 5:50,” Dr. Russell said. “And once there’s a decision, the goal is to have information appearing on TV screens, media Web sites and radio stations throughout the area by no later than 6:05.
“Our No. 1 priority is always the safety of our children,” he said.
There’s so much to consider, within a small window of time, when Upstate winter weather moves into the Owego area, said Dr. Russell.
“In families where both parents work, snow days create a real disruption,” he said. “It impacts child care, and employers feel it, too. There’s a ripple effect, and as it affects more adults, it touches the local economy as well.
“Of course, many people feel the need to second-guess our decisions,” Dr. Russell added. “I routinely hear from people about how they’d have done it differently and, of course, better. There are always a few who think we’ve made a truly lousy call.
“We expect those sorts of calls,” Dr. Russell said, “and we hope people understand all the factors that go into our decisions, and most importantly, that our overwhelming priority is to make sure our students get to school safely.”
Making the call on snow days
What goes into the decision?
“Ever wonder what goes into calling a snow day?” writer and TV personality Andy Rooney might ask.
If you have, you’re probably in the majority.
The first step is the easiest. Get up mighty early in the morning. When the weather outside is frightful, the day begins in the neighborhood of 4 a.m.
Here at Owego Apalachin, Tony Quaranta, transportation supervisor, gets a call from AccuWeather forecasters in
“Between 4:30 and 5:15, Tony will have a pretty good sense of what to expect. He’ll have people out there, driving the roads, especially the worst hills, to personally assess things,” said Dr. Bill Russell, OA superintendent.
“All of the area highway crews do a tremendous job of plowing and treating our roads,” Dr. Russell added. “And our bus drivers are as skilled and professional as you can get. Our safety record is outstanding.”
Around 5:20, Dr. Russell said, he’ll receive a call from Dr. James Coon, superintendent for Union-Endicott, who will pass along updates from Broome County schools, such as Maine-Endwell, Vestal, Binghamton, Johnson City and, of course, U-E.
“That call is important, since it often predicts what BOCES will do. Those five large districts send the highest number of students to Broome-Tioga BOCES,” Dr. Russell said. “As they go, often BOCES will go, given the large number of students and staff residing in those communities. Part of our decision is predicated on whether our students will be able to attend BOCES programs.”
Other superintendents around the region consult with one another via e-mail and phone calls.
“Of course, each district makes a local decision based on conditions they’re experiencing, but it’s helpful to get a regional perspective,” Dr. Russell said.
At about 5:30, Dr. Russell consults with Quaranta and Bernie Dolan, OA associate superintendent, at which time a decision is made. Will there be a one-hour delay? Two hours? Business as usual? Or will OA close?
“We try to make the decision by 5:45 because our first buses roll at 5:50,” Dr. Russell said. “And once there’s a decision, the goal is to have information appearing on TV screens, media Web sites and radio stations throughout the area by no later than 6:05.
“Our No. 1 priority is always the safety of our children,” he said.
There’s so much to consider, within a small window of time, when Upstate winter weather moves into the Owego area, said Dr. Russell.
“In families where both parents work, snow days create a real disruption,” he said. “It impacts child care, and employers feel it, too. There’s a ripple effect, and as it affects more adults, it touches the local economy as well.
“Of course, many people feel the need to second-guess our decisions,” Dr. Russell added. “I routinely hear from people about how they’d have done it differently and, of course, better. There are always a few who think we’ve made a truly lousy call.
“We expect those sorts of calls,” Dr. Russell said, “and we hope people understand all the factors that go into our decisions, and most importantly, that our overwhelming priority is to make sure our students get to school safely.”