ROANOKE, Vs. – On Monday, school officials from Roanoke City Public Schools gathered to discuss the freezing temperatures expected overnight.
They reviewed all factors—from road conditions to bus routes—and planned to communicate throughout the night before making a final decision around 5:45 a.m. Tuesday morning.
Chris Perkins, operations for Roanoke City Public Schools, said, “We’ve been watching the weather reports all day and all afternoon so we have planned for our road crew to go out as early as 3:30 a.m.”
Before sunrise, crews were already out on the roads assessing conditions to determine if children could get to school safely.
Perkins added, “Those road crews will be up checking bus stops, checking sidewalks. Our biggest concern is getting kids to the bus stops, once they’re on the bus they’re actually pretty safe as long as the buses can get around the city.”
When weather is unpredictable, school officials take a comprehensive approach, waiting until morning to make a final call.
“It’s based on a lot of variables, so generally we have to wait until the morning to make that call,” Perkins said.
Chuck Lionberger, director of community relations for Roanoke County Public Schools, emphasized the seriousness of the decision. “We take the decision to either close or delay very, very seriously and we don’t take it lightly, but at the same time safety is a priority of what we do here and so we want to ensure that if we are having our kids come to school, can they do so safely.”
Roanoke County faces specific challenges with higher-elevated neighborhoods.
Lionberger explained, “It’s those areas that we know are gonna give our buses some of the biggest challenges when navigating slippery conditions. That’s why we focus more on those areas with higher elevations.”
Road crews will report back to school officials, who will then discuss many factors. The superintendent then makes the final call before 6 a.m., considering road crews’ reports, news alerts, staffing, and other factors.
Both school districts aim to keep schools open but prioritize safety. What may be safe for one neighborhood may not be for another.
Lionberger said, “We’re gonna air on the side of safety but if we can we’re gonna try to make sure our kids are in school.”
Perkins added, “If we keep kids at the front of every decision we make then that’s the best decision we can make.”
Officials ask parents to be patient as they work through the process of deciding whether to cancel, delay, or keep schools open.