Waking up to a snow day is awesome for the students but it’s not awesome for everyone. There are many factors that go into deciding if a snow day is necessary. The safety of our staff and students is the most important part.
“The decision to declare a snow day involves considering multiple factors, including student and staff safety, local road conditions, and the ability to provide childcare and substitute teachers,” Hamka said.
Grosse Pointe South is also considered a walking district so the impact of weather on staff who may need to travel on highways and the ability to clean parking lots and sidewalks. Also the timing of the snowfall and the severity of the weather is crucial.
“Unlike other districts, the school has not used a delayed start option in the past 11 years, which adds complexity to the decision making process,” Hamka said. “The safety of students and staff, especially new drivers, is paramount, and the district has taken proactive measures like cleaning cars for students in severe conditions.”
Many students are new drivers and aren’t experienced driving in the snow. This could be dangerous for the students and the cars around them. Many students including Maddy Benard ‘25 don’t have the time in the morning to even brush the snow off their car which can be dangerous.
“I usually don’t even have time to let my car heat up or brush off the snow and I’m probably going to be late to school. I think if we get snow overnight and the city does not have time to plow and salt the streets then we should definitely have a snow day,” Benard said.
If it’s dangerous for students that live within 10 minutes of school, then it’s even more dangerous for the staff that lives 30 plus minutes away. The district has to also look at what nearby districts are deciding especially for our staff that have children in other schools. Mrs. Pierce has a commute to school and she has children that go to school in a different district.
“I think the decision needs to be made sooner rather than later. It can be frustrating for families who have younger children like I do. We also have a significant amount of staff who drive from far away. But we are considered a walking district so you also have to think, would I send my elementary, middle, or high schooler to walk to school in these conditions,” Pierce said.
The superintendent makes the ultimate decision but a lot goes on behind the scenes. You have to look at more than just the facts. The main concern should be the safety of our students and staff.
“While we have to assess the local conditions, we also have to look at the greater impact of staff who live beyond Grosse Pointe and if our students can walk to school in certain conditions,” Hamka said.