WASHINGTON -- Despite a steady snowfall and wintry mix conditions across the DMV, some school districts decided not to delay or close, causing concern among parents and students.
After scorching criticism flooded social media, school officials in Prince George's County explained their decision to stay on schedule.
"There was no precipitation early this morning and the forecast was for a wintry mix to turn to all rain," said Prince George's County Public Schools communications director John White who pointed out decisions were made before 5 a.m. "We made the decision with the information available."
By the time many schools began dismissing at 1:55 p.m., a cold rain was falling and streets were mostly merely wet, according to reporter Scott Broom who monitored kids leaving the Springhill Elementary School in Greenbelt.
Fairfax and Montgomery counties made the decision to close after weather conditions worsened following a delay. However, neighboring districts like Prince George's County and D.C. Public Schools stayed opened as the snowfall progressed.
During our morning newscasts, WUSA9's Mikea Turner monitored school districts for closings on a Facebook live. Parents in Prince George's County anticipated schools closing, but were disappointed to learn that was not the case and shared that frustration online:
Viewers also called WUSA9 to express frustration with the decision to keep school open in D.C. At least one caller said the roads were slippery and that it wasn't fair especially considering federal workers have the option for unscheduled telework or take unscheduled leave.
Whenever bad weather is expected, transportation officials are out at 2:30 a.m. surveying the road conditions and sending information back to schools to make the call.
Each county looks at a variety of factors in determining whether to cancel class, issue a two hour delay, end early or cancel after-school activities. All schools will cancel if traveling conditions are unsafe.
SNOW-Vember: Snow falls for the first time this season in DC metro
Prince George's County officials released the following statement on Friday evening:
"Dear Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) community,
Weather decisions are never easy. In a county that stretches over 500 square miles, it can be snowing in Laurel, but only cloudy in Accokeek. Today, we followed our standard process for making decisions. As a former Chief Operating Officer, I understand the factors that go into our final call. Like many of you, I stayed glued to the weather app on my phone, the weather forecast on all the local stations and reminded our staff of our protocol.
Starting at 3 a.m., our staff surveyed the roads, sidewalks, school parking lots and conferred with other school systems and county government. They assessed road temperatures and verified road conditions and treatment with state and local agencies. The weather forecast mainly predicted only rain for our region. With the information I had at that time, I made the decision to remain open. Our first buses hit the roads at 6 a.m. and the only precipitation reported was rain.
As I made my way to my first school visit this morning, the forecast quickly changed. Temperatures hovered around the freezing mark, snowflakes got larger and eventually the patter of ice hit my windshield. My primary concern is our staff and students. I called to confirm if we had any bus accidents and checked in to assess complaints from parents and staff members. This morning, no accidents were reported, but there were numerous parent and staff concerns. I want to thank our dedicated bus drivers, building services staff, teachers, and administrators for their diligence in keeping students safe.
Weather decisions are never easy. However, I will commit to erring on the side of caution for weather decisions moving forward.
Sincerely,
Monica Goldson, Ed.D.
Interim Chief Executive Officer"
