Snow and Loudoun County Public Schools

I wonder if schools will close early. I try to go to their website but I can't get through.

 

I'm a bus driver & so far no...which makes me very annoyed. I also have a child in the school system & I can tell you she's not getting on the PM kindergarten bus today. It's AWFUL out there now! Call the superintendent please and tell him to put our children's safety first darnit! Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

 

A few minutes ago I received a text message on my cell phone from the Loudoun Alert system, advising that LCPS would remain open, but that after school activities were cancelled.

 

https://alert.loudoun.gov/rssfeed.php

They are staying in school today.

 

didn't they KNOW it was going to snow and salt the roads?? i love the way trucks line up for a day and it doesn't snow- what's the deal with this?

 

Just got back from taking mine up for PM Kindergarten. We walked and it wasn't too bad. Lots of parents drove and there was a guy plowing the parking lot and someone was shoveling the sidewalks. The buses that came with the kids all had chains on their tires.

 

FYI - after speaking to another driver who delivered children for PM Kindergarten (to another school in the area) she said it was AWFUL out on the roads. The amount of accidents was pretty staggering even this early on. So BE CAREFUL out there.

 

Let me tell you I just back in and I have an suv and it is getting deadly out there. And there are a bunch of accidents and fender benders. My suv even in 4 wheel drive was sliding at the intersections even being careful. Then I see people just flying by, wait to this turns to ice later as it is supposed to.

I would say stay home unless you have to go out.

I have no clue why there would be school today after the warnings and Loudoun schools have done this before. If there are chains on the school buses that should be a clue how bad it is and can get.

Good day to stay in and watch movies or read a book.

I have to admit it looks like a post card outside

ANd it will be totally gone in a day or two. My kind of snow.

Lee j

 

As we all know, this has been going on for years. Everyone wonders during the winter why the schools don't get closed and then complains come June that the school year is extended.

 

My kids have been in lcps's for 11 years. And during that time, I don't recall the school year ever being extended due to snow, or for any other reason.

 

Baywatch that is one of the truest things you have said ha ha ha The schools are screwd either way. ha ha ha

Lee j

 

LC builds in snow days and they have a longer school day and don't need to make up days usually at the end of the year.

 

I just got home from picking my son up from school. The roads were HORRIBLE. I don't understand the decision not to close schools early. Just about every other county in the area were either closed or closed early. Last year Loudoun closed at the drop of a hat (which in my opinion, better safe than sorry). What's going on this year? Next time, if something like this happens, I'll just go pick him up if I feel it's getting dangerous. Oh, and on the way to the school, there was a car in a deep ditch along Belmont Ridge. What about all those teenagers who have to drive home in this stuff?

 

My girls told me the Principal at Briar Woods recommended that students take the bus hom and leave their cars. You know they won't do that. They should have been dismissed early. Do you think they will have school tomorrow?

 

My son goes to Briar Woods also. If he were driving on his own, I wouldn't have let him drive home. He would have either taken the bus or I would pick him up. As for tomorrow, who knows. If they didn't have exams, I would keep him home regardless. I'm wondering if Loudoun County got a new Superintenent.

 

Luckily some of the kids listened to the advice. My Briar Woods son knows several drivers at Briar Woods that left their cars and took the bus home. Hopefully everyone else made it home ok.

As I picked up my youngest son at Hillside, I saw one of the karate daycare vans get stuck trying to leave the school bus loop. The wheels were spinning (there is a slight incline as you leave the loop) and spinning. I drove off after about 5-10 minutes and he was still trying to get out. Several others were behind him - not sure if they also became stuck. It was bad!

 

Loudoun County is on a fixed schedule and does not extend the year if we use too many snow days and they do not "give days back" if we don't used the days. Our last day of school is set and has been nice when districts such as Fairfax change spring breaks or extend the school year to make up for the snow.

I think part of the decision to stay in school today had to do with getting ready for exams tomorrow. Remember, if school is cancelled tomorrow or next week, the day off next Fri. will be moved back until all exams have been taken. Exams need to be finished so that teachers can grade and transcripts can be mailed to the colleges.

 

Also, if we have a delayed opening tomorrow, exams will still be administered.

 

I don't believe the roads were any worse at 3 than they had been around 1, so closing early would have been fun, but not sure it would have been any safer.

 

Two reasons that we don't close early, that I'm sure JenTimC will understand:
1. we are short on drivers and buses. as you all know, school start times are staggered (elementary, middle, high) to allow for bus routes and schedules to be met. if we close early, a 30 minute bus route could take 60 minutes, leaving kids at the schools with no instructional time while the bus makes its way back. then as parents make their way back from work so their kids are no unattended at home they are stuck in traffic. it's a vicious cycle. i recall one year a child being left until 6:30 until their parents could come pick them up at school - they were stuck in traffic from just after noon coming from the district.
2. buses should not be routed before VDOT treats the roads. they did not begin treatment in many areas until 11:30.
staying in school is the safest option for the kids, allows the roads to be treated, and time for all bus routes to be managed (the logistics of it anyway).