Pleasant Valley works diligently to provide education to students. Cancelling school is something the district works against, but they do not put students at any risk of harm. From late starts to entire days off, there are specific procedures the school district must follow. As the season of winter weather progresses, these policies will be implemented regularly.
School times can be changed due to weather events such as snow, rain, fog or other extreme weather circumstances. In the past couple of years, the district has seen many cancellations due to incredibly low temperatures. Some cancellations even lasted days at a time.
While the district has had days of no school, it is important to understand and expect when these events can happen. Pleasant Valley coordinates weather cancellations with the National Weather Service, Scott County plowing schedules and bus providers. The faculty also test road conditions before deciding on the severity of the weather.
The school considers the conditions of buses, students walking or biking to school and overall road conditions. This impacts the large area of the district, as a portion of the student population lives in rural areas up to 20 minutes away. These roads are less accessible and factor into the decision-making process.
The final decision on the day is primarily determined by the warnings issued by the National Weather Service. School may only be cancelled in the winter due to wind-chill warnings, excessive snowfall and icy road conditions.
Some high school students feel strongly about these policies. “I find trouble in the parking lots at school and walking in because of the ice on the pavement,” said senior Natalie Hanson, “Some days it’s hard to drive to school because of the upkeep of the roads.”
High school students who drive to school on their own may find more trouble with road conditions due to inexperience. Nonetheless, this is another factor that the district must consider when deciding whether the school will be operational on that day.
Coach Green has an alternative to snow days, “I don’t think there should be snow days. However, if the weather is dangerous enough to not travel, we shouldn’t have students and faculty come in but have a virtual day instead. This way we can continue school.”
Pleasant Valley’s current plan includes days where work must be made up. There is a built-in day in February for the potential of cancellations. Late starts and early dismissals do not need to be made up. However, all full days off must be accounted for. If there is a day cancelled before February, students will be required to attend school on this day. If not, students have a free day off. When more than one day is canceled, school days will be added on at the end of the year.
School cancellations are something that every student hopes for when they see snow, but the reason behind them is to protect everyone who comes to school.
