I think the big difference now is that schools are worried more about being taken to court if something happens. For example, a child doesn't dress appropriately and gets frost bite while waiting for the school bus = schools fault or at least $$ to fight the legal battle. ReplyCancel

I live in NC and schools close at the threat of snow. They don't plow the side roads so it really does add to the delays. Anyhow, I want to comment on the 2 set of rules phenomena. My ex and I divorced when the kids were 1 and 5. I found it strange that they learned to eat different foods at each house. They didn't learn to eat spinach and Brussels sprouts in my house! It made me sadly realize that I didn't know all about their lives as i should have. ReplyCancel

I live in Alberta, and in the Calgary school district, school closures are not allowed. I think it's considered to be too much a burden for working parents. Doesn't matter if it snowed a meter overnight or is -40*. So the comment above about the legal worries about keeping school open is interesting because it seems like the opposite here.(Though there is not a culture of suing here as there is in the US). I grew up in NYC and we had fewer than 5 snow days during my entire 13.5 years in school there. Closing school for 4" of snow certainly seems ridiculous! Do they have to make up the days at the end of the year? My sister's kids in Iowa have to do that and it seems especially annoying!ReplyCancel

We have insanely frequent delays and closings in the Poconos, PA, too. Cold out? Delyed opening! 3 flakes fall? No school! The bus drivers have told me the diesel fuel in the school buses can't handle the low temps making it questionable if the buses will start again once the engines are shut off. Well figure out a different system, man! These kids never have school, we had a 2 1/2 week Chritmas break, and now they have onw week off now and another the week after Easter Sunday.ReplyCancel

Just found your blog today! I love finding great new blogs! Middle Tennessean here, weighing in on snow/cold days and the fact that people not from here can't understand why we operate the way we do. So here goes…as for the severe cold, our busses simply don't want to start when it's so cold. They are not equipped with heaters that plug in and keep them warm so they will start. We also don't have proper clothing for such severe cold. Most kids here have a lightweight coat (think fleece north face jacket) and that is it. It's too risky to have children in hoodies waiting for a bus that isn't coming in seven degree temps. As for the roads…..precipitation here often starts as ICE. Ice alone, or ice under snow is impossible to drive on. Our recent ice storm had many northern transplants declaring they had never driven on such dangerous roads. And yes, while we may have plows, we don't have many. My county has THREE. Three for a large county that's a bedroom county for Nashville. There's no way three plows can begin to touch all of the side roads in three cities. Which leads to the next problem that for each main road that may be clear and not warrant school being out, there are ten treacherous side roads. We simply are not equipped to handle extreme cold or snow and ice, and I fully support those making the difficult calls each time it's necessary. ReplyCancel