Do you think Wicomico County should have closed schools today?
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
48 comments:
I think it should have been a delay situation...No I don't want a bus load of kids in an accident either.... any of us can arm chair quarterback but it is not our responsiblity I am sure there is a great reason .......
I think a two hour delay would have been sufficent, to let the ice melt a little. Now the kids are home with no snow to play in and will probably drive their parent/sitter crazy. LOL We have a lot of winter left to go....hopefully they won't be going to school longer in the summer like last year.
yes , just the chance of one kid getting hurt is to much to risk school
nope
No!
No, 2 hour delay would have been just fine.
Dr F needs to stop shooting from the hip in these situations.
Oh btw, I am a stay at home mom, so I don't have to find child care.
Well I sure don't want to hear the teachers crying yet about another thing!
Based on how the road conditions were early this morning, I say yes!
I do NOT have children in school anymore but if I did, I would not have wanted them on a school bus as bad as the roads were.
They had no way of knowing how quickly the roads were going to get cleared and even at 9am this morning on my way to work, the secondary roads were still covered in black ice. Especially Zion Road in Salisbury.
I'd rather them be safe than sorry.
We all know there are parents out there just waiting to sue for something!
NO... I can see a 2 hour delay, but closing is crazy!
Better safe than sorry
NO!!! Not at all. I am sick and tired of John Fredericksen closing schools down for no reason what so ever! He closed schools down yesterday 2 hours early and there wasn't even a snow flake. He has a plan with this and I haven't figured it out yet.
No. Closing schools puts more kids on the streets to get in trouble.
10:59
I guess from your statement we know who is doing the parenting, and it is not the parents.
As a driver of a salt (& plow) truck, I know for a fact that the roads were too icy for safe travel of the school buses. So yes, they were correct in canceling.
As far as the early cancellation yesterday, since many buses are out as late at 6pm dropping off students at the end of a normal school day, it was a precautionary measure based upon the forecast for an ice event and recommendations by state and law enforcement officials.
anonymous 11:13, Thank You.
Cool with me, my daughter and I will be making aprox four gallons of homemade veg/beef soup.
11:13, here, here. The temp today is a HIGh of 32. The roads are ICED. By the time kids would get there after a delay and possibly have to go home early because the roads would be refreezing in many places with buses on the road in the afternoon, they might have had to end early, too.
People forget that the kids come into the schools from all OVER the county, not just from a couple of blocks off a major cleared highway.
It would have been more hassle and expense on top of the danger to try to work around these icy roads.
YES better safe than sorry
I was at the dentist office this morning and we were discussing this issue. Being the smart person he is , he told me why the schools close so early and often anymore. He summed it up in one word. LAWYERS
If they'd use salt to treat the roads they wouldnt be in such bad shape. 6 inches up here in PA (im here for work) and all the main/secondary roads were relatively clear by 8am. How Wico county cant figure out the whole snow removal thing is beyond me. School will always be canceled for any amount of snow because the roads are ALWAYS bad, even with a dusting. Add to that the local 4 wheel drive yahoo's that think there pickup truck is unstoppable in anything. Recipe for disaster IMHO. Stupid and incompetence, a very prominent trait in many of Wico counties residents.
My friends in Pennsylvania laugh at me when they hear how often school is closed here during wintry weather. They live with it, I think we could too. And no, I am not talking about several inches of snow, I am talking about the weather today and yesterday. Life must go on.
In Pennsylvania, cars and BUSES have chains or snow tires and, in many cases, are not allowed on the roads without them. Use your head, 11:55!
NO WAY!!!!! This is rediculous.
Anon: With that thinking I would get a new Dentist. Plain and simple sad that person puts ligitation in front of safety.
I agree with 11:55, You are right! I am from Pennsylvania and we have to have a MAJOR storm to close!!!!!! I love how this county closes things cause it might happen!!!!!! Also, If they had school and you don't want your child to go, you don't have to!! So, instead of going longer in the summer, take away spring break and let's get out earlier!!! No reason to stay in school till June 15th!!!
@11:55-
I live in PA and the reason we can deal with it is because we have the equipment to take care of the snow. I live in Philly. I am a teacher and we are off today. We got about 6 inches of snow. The roads are clear. For us to have a delay of 2 hours would have cost the district $200,000 in overtime for the bus drivers. Sometimes it is a cost cutting/saving measure to call off school. The roads are clear around where I live, but that is not in the city. I think if the amount of snow that the Mid Atlantic has gotten over the last couple of years continues, the state of MD needs to equip itself better for snow and there would be no issue. BTW. My wife is from Pittsburgh and she cannot really remember getting off for snow!
Walk with me down memory lane for a little while. Remember as a teen when you first started driving, how cool it was to drive out in the woods on a country road for hours at a time? Ever remember that one road that was so covered with trees on both sides that you could not even see the sun during the middle of the day? Well, those same roads, with no sun to get through to melt any ice or snow may be the same roads that the buses travel with children. The plows and trucks can't get to a lot of the well traveled back roads because they have to do the main roads first. I say the saftey of our children and the bus drivers come first.
OH COME ON!
What you need to do is contact any local principal, request a visit with any teacher of any grade, and stay with the teacher the entire school day. Also, that day, (for your entertainment,) the teacher will remain at school and do the "other" responsibilities that he/she would usually take home. You will wonder how that teacher can do ALL that he/she does!
I guarantee that your eyes will become unclouded and your perspective will be a bit more respectful. YOU need to be respectful. You are free to think what you want, but a fine, well-educated person would never judge a person until they walked a day in their shoes. If you can read this, thank a teacher.
no
Yes. Not all the obstacles to safe travel from home to school are apparent. Last evening I fell as I was descending some front steps. I talked earlier today to a lady who had slipped and fallen on the ice this morning. Conditions in more rural sections of the county may be far worse than those in Salisbury.
10:40 and 10:57, do you really believe that Dr. Frederickson "shoots from the hip" and "closes school for no reason at all"? Before making the call to do so, he consults with bus drivers and with the head of transportation, who takes a ride around the county very early in the morning.
Maybe a two-hour delay would have been sufficient, but what do we know from the comfort of our homes?
Always err on the side of caution.
If all the Northern states with cold weather closed every time there was a chance of snow then the schools would be closed all winter. GET REAL People. They are trying to justify year round school. Bad idea!
It's more or less a coin toss to me-damned if you do, damned if you don't situation.
Initially, I wasn't going to comment, but I saw that the word verification below was "SCHOOL" so I figured I'd make some smile given the irony and tension of the topic!
A 2 hour delay would have meant buses on the road in some areas at 8:30am to get children in outlying areas to school by 10. The roads were definitely icy at 8:30.
You people need to think about your comments before posting them.
No area on Delmarva has the equipment OR the manpower to handle snow.
We haven't always gotten snow like we have last winter and so far this winter! Think about it!
No doubt in my mind that you're the same ones who would be griping if the towns/county and states HAD the equipment necessary to clean ALL of the roads perfectly so you could get out for your daily trip to Walmart and so you didn't have to stay home with your kids!
You'd then be complaining that your taxes were too high and that all the equipment sits idle for 9=10 months out of the year!
You get what you PAY for!
My husband is from New York and he always comments on how much better snow removal is up there but he'll also tell you that EVERY area (town and county) have plenty of equipment and manpower and they know how to use it! However, take a look at the tax rate New York pays. That's why! The citizens PAY for the resources. Take a look at the roads, the major highways in New York. Big difference there too. Again, the residents are willing to pay for it!
Stop your whining and run for office or at the very least attend meetings where budgets are discussed and reviewed. I'd make sure you know what a budget is first though or you'll still be looking mighty stupid when give any input.
Some of you people are complete idiots, oh when I was younger they never closed schools, yeah right, I'm 64, been here all my life and believe me I remember schools being closed. The differnce is do you recall how many kids walked to school back then versus driving. Do you realize how many cars are on the road today versus years back, or how much the school population has grown since then.
I can remember back in the 70's they would have school open, (for those who could attend) on snow days. If you rode the bus and couldn't make it in it was considered an excused absence. I can tell you I lived about 3 miles from the school and would walk to school on some of those days because we were sick of being home all day with nothing to do. Those were the days when we'd get some serious blizards.
The wet pants liberals are so scared of everything they feel its best to save the world. Buses today are built so much better and tires today can out perform anything we ever dreamed of back in the 1970's.
A two hour delay would have been fine today OR giving the parents the opportunity to get their kids to school or give the kids an excused day would have been even better. This pansy stuff has to stop, seriously.
Joe, I agree, but with the number of pedophile's would you be walking three miles today. As a child I rode my bike all over town.
Today as an adult I wouldn't think of it. Times they are a changing!
It's a tough decision when you have so many parents out there that would want to take legal action in the event their child was to receive a skinned knee as the result of an accident.Blame society !! It is a an inconvenience for some parents, I know , but what do we do??
11:53, you are stupid. Salt is used, it is just not possible to use it on EVERY road. Ice is different than snow. If you don't like it, move. There is no way you pay enough taxes to expect every road in this county to get salted. One round of salt would easily cost 100K. During a major storm, you could easily make 3 rounds. That is just salt. Overtime for plow operators in addition to salt is more. If you want more done, call your local council person and ask them to raise your taxes so that every road in this county can be salted. what an idiot.
Joe, I hear your opinion, and you are certainly entitled to it (since it is your blog and all :) However, pretend you are the teacher for a second...let's say they keep schools open and excuse those kids that don't come. There will be quite a few students that don't show. Are the teachers going to give quality instruction when half of the class is missing? They certainly aren't going to introduce new material on a day with only half the class. What is the behavior going to be for the kids that had to be there, knowing their friends are at home doing nothing? Sometimes the public, who has never worked in a school doesn't consider these things. None of us would like to be in the position of having to make the decision of whether to have school or not because you will always make people mad. (and no, it is not Dr. F that makes that decision). In December when schools were let out early, people complained because the school system waited until it started snowing to announce an early dismissal, now people are upset because it wasnt snowing/sleeting when schools were let out yesterday. Nobody wins in this situation...it's just one of those things. (and no, I am not a teacher, I just try to put myself in others' shoes.)
No. Delay, ok. Teachers can teach those who show up, when they show up. they can and should teach quality education every day, they do get paid to do that. they can review the next day. common sense.
Sorry but seems alot of the teachers nowadays welcome schools being closed.. In fact, if you read some of the facebook posts of the teachers who are dumb enough to have one, (principals even!) they are all crying about having to go back to school after christmas break.. and how snow is welcome because their break wasn't long enough. The same ones have posts throughout the day when they are supposed to be teaching our children. & before you try to tell me I'm wrong, check it out for yourself..Doesn't matter what school ..they all do it.
10:40 - Haven't seen one teacher complain. What are you talking about? Im sure if there was school today all of the teachers would get on here and complain because thats all they do right? Grow up loser the teachers only comment to stick up for theirselves like everyone else would.
Absolutely....There were accidents all over the county. We do need to be safe for all students. With that being said I would like to see the county schedule the make up for the 2 days we have already had prior to the end of year the year in June.
All the school systems around here were closed, not just Wicomico County. I drove around some back roads this afternoon and there were still patches of iced-over roads. So, yes it was the right decision and there may be a delay tomorrow. Ice is much more dangerous than snow.
4:03. My taxes dont pay enough for salting every road. Wico county has some of the highest tax rates in MD. What does the county spend all the money on? Its not crime prevention, thats for sure.
For 2 yrs now we have had MAJOR winter storms. If you cant buy equipment sub the work out. Its about being prepared for emergencies and getting the job done regardless. Looking at the county and its pi$$-poor money management I'd say YOU should be calling and getting the facts straight. My guess is all the higher ups have there roads salted and cleared first while the rest of us are left to deal with another horribly executed task by the local yahoos. You see, in my life here on the shore Ive noticed a disturbing pattern, NO ONE CARES.
If he had not closed school everyone would have been complaining about that. You posted a blog on here at 1:47pm showing a car hitting a tree, talking about how slick it is out there. It really does not matter what he did everyone on this site would have comlpained regardless.
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