"SNOW ALERT"

Inclement Weather Closing

To Close or Not to Close ----- That is the Question

Any Superintendent or Transportation Director will tell you that one of his/her most difficult decisions is whether to

close, delay, or open school on days of inclement weather. It is difficult because they must decide on the probability of

safety to transport students. The process begins at 4:00 a.m. with several district personnel and weather spotters who are

located in various parts of the county traveling many of the district roads checking road conditions. During this time we are

in constant contact with Bowling Green officials, the various law enforcement agencies and News 13 for the latest update

on the weather. We strive to make our decision no later than 5:30 a.m. since we must inform our district employees, as

well as parents and students.

Since we desire to make a decision by 5:30 a.m., there may be a need to revise the decision later in the morning

because of a change in storm conditions. It is important for parents to continue to check television and radio stations after

the initial announcement, in the event weather conditions dictate a change. Certainly, we realize that the decision is

subject to second-guessing, but please realize that our decision is made solely on the safety of our children.

WHAT FACTORS GO INTO MAKING THE DECISION TO CLOSE SCHOOLS?

• Weather forecasts from radio and television stations

• School district, Kentucky Department of Transportation, and various Police assessment of road conditions

• School district's assessment of school parking and accessibility of buildings

• Time snow is expected to start and end

• Amount of snow accumulated and predicted

• Expected impact on traffic

• Weather conditions expected after the snow

WHAT HAPPENS IF THE WEATHER BECOMES SEVERE DURING THE SCHOOL DAY: It may become

necessary to dismiss students one or two hours earlier than normal. Information on road conditions is received from the

Department of Transportation and Kentucky State Police to determine the best time for dismissal.

HOW CAN PARENTS BE READY: Parents should be prepared for an early dismissal by having identified a

procedure for their child to follow in the case of an early dismissal. In the case of an early dismissal, it is requested that

parents not drive to school to pick up children who normally ride the school buses. The additional traffic this creates

around the schools and on local roads only makes the safe transportation of students to their homes more difficult.

EMERGENCY CLOSING/DELAY INFORMATION SOURCES

WBKO-TV (13) WZTV (17) WTVF-TV (5)

WSM-TV (4) WKRN-TV (2) WBGN-RADIO

WBVR-RADIO WCLU-RADIO WCVK-RADIO

WGGC-RADIOWKCT-RADIO WKLX-RADIO

WKYU-RADIO WPTQ-RADIO WSM-RADIO

Parents and students should not telephone the schools or the district office for information pertaining to

the operation of schools on these days. These calls can delay proper notification of the school staff and public,

and can interfere with the handling of school operations. The announcement of school closing and/or delay is made

on most of the local television and radio stations as soon as possible. Hopefully, this article provides you with relevant

information and allows you to better understand the process. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact

the Warren County Schools Transportation Department at 842-8311.

John W. Odom

                 Director of Transportation

                     Warren County School system