This winter is meant to be much colder than usual. With the coldest days being predicted in late November, December, and January. Last year, Sandpoint saw so many days with freezing temperatures, high winds, heavy snow, and icy roads. Many SHS students said that there were so many days that should have just been snow days, especially due to unsafe conditions. Many people sent complaints to the LPOSD Admin, saying that the weather was too cold for children to be waiting for buses, or walking to school.
Recently the policy for school closures was updated. The policy states that due to the amount of instructional hours the Idaho Code requires the LPOSD will only have 3 emergency closure days. Closures will be “considered” when ambient temperature drops below minus ten degrees. Even in these conditions, a full closure will only be considered as “closing schools based on a forecast is risky business”, as stated by the LPOSD Policy. In conditions like this, if a school closure will not be called inside recess can be called. However, as many voiced last year, making children wait for buses, or walk to school in these conditions, even if it is predicted to improve by later in the day is unsafe. In some situations, the school could have a two-hour delay. This would just simply mean that schools would open later if conditions were meant to improve by then.
As many of those residing in Northern Idaho will attest to, weather conditions are very unpredictable. One minute it could be beautiful and sunny, the next it could be storming, hailing, sleeting, or snowing, and no weather app will be able to predict that with 100% accuracy. So, even with inside recess, and late starts there is so much potential for danger. Students will be walking to and from school, there will be student drivers on the roads, and guardians are just meant to entrust the district bus drivers with their children’s lives. The LPOSD site states: “We will not put kids at risk, but we will transport students when the roads are not optimal.” And their reasoning is simply because we as people drive in unsafe conditions as well.
Students who complained to the district last year due to safety issues, such as accidents on the roads and brutally cold conditions, “too cold to be standing outside, waiting for the bus, which will obviously not be on time due to the weather”, were given an opportunity to speak up about the issue. A student, wishing to remain anonymous, stated that they “strongly disliked” the way that the district is taking snow days. Said student was called into a meeting with the admin of LPOSD, where she felt she was being talked down upon as if she wasn’t speaking up like any other grown person in the room. If we as students speak up about true safety issues and still won’t be heard, how are we meant to trust that the admin will make the right decisions when it comes to things like snow days. Obviously, the snow days are great for heading up the mountain, hanging out with friends and just simply having a break. However, they are also crucial to making sure that students remain safe when coming and going to school. As a community, safety should be the top priority for everyone, but with policies like this, sometimes it feels we are heading backwards. So make sure to proceed with extra caution this winter, as safety will have to be at least partially taken into the hands of SHS students and those alike.
