FCPS - Closed on Friday 1/28 (Fairfax: home, public schools, buses)

[movingtodcfromseattle]

All Fairfax County public schools will be closed on Friday, January 28. Offices will be open with an unscheduled leave policy in effect.

[gingerbreadgirl]

Holy cow! The kids will get 7 days off from school since they are scheduled to be off next Monday and Tuesday. Kinda makes me want to be a kid again!

[finini01]

wow, are the roads still that bad?

[choff5]

Originally Posted by movingtodcfromseattle

All Fairfax County public schools will be closed on Friday, January 28. Offices will be open with an unscheduled leave policy in effect.

I appreciate the early notice. The kids now will have a full week at home, and we'll be making it up on Monday, February 21st. Let's hope this doesn't continue into February as last year. I'm actually getting more planning work done here at home for school than I would if I was there. Maybe that means I'll really have time to clean my office next Monday on our workday.

[choff5]

Originally Posted by finini01

wow, are the roads still that bad?

I admit I haven't been out so can't speak to the roads, which I'm guessing are/will be in good shape. But remember there's power out in various places, plus all the school parking lots to be plowed out not to mention digging out all the school buses. My guess is there's a lot more to it than just the roads.

[movingtodcfromseattle]

Here are the thoughts that my husband and I have and they have been shared with FCPS:

I'm wondering if it would help the public to understand how many buses have to have snow cleared off, how many bus lots require snow clearance, and how many acres of pavement (sidewalks, driveways, and parking lots) FCPS has to clear before it's safe for kids and employees to go to school? FCPS has 175,000 students attending about 200 schools. I don't think people appreciate the magnitude of the work needed to clear 6-10 inches of heavy snow off the buses and school grounds.

[Alltheusernamesaretaken]

Originally Posted by movingtodcfromseattle

Here are the thoughts that my husband and I have and they have been shared with FCPS:

I'm wondering if it would help the public to understand how many buses have to have snow cleared off, how many bus lots require snow clearance, and how many acres of pavement (sidewalks, driveways, and parking lots) FCPS has to clear before it's safe for kids and employees to go to school? FCPS has 175,000 students attending about 200 schools. I don't think people appreciate the magnitude of the work needed to clear 6-10 inches of heavy snow off the buses and school grounds.

Fair points, but that amount of snow is no big deal in the northeast. It gets done there.
So the thing is, not that it has to be done -- it can certainly be done -- but this area being equipped to do it / being prepared to do it.

[reebo]

But the northeast routinely year in and year out gets this kind of snow. Before last year, I believe the last time we had this much snow in one shot was six years before. We just don't get this much snow this regularly to devote a bigger portion of the budget to it.

[car54]

Originally Posted by Alltheusernamesaretaken

Fair points, but that amount of snow is no big deal in the northeast. It gets done there.
So the thing is, not that it has to be done -- it can certainly be done -- but this area being equipped to do it / being prepared to do it.

Apples and oranges.

In the Northeast, each town has their own school system with a handful of schools. Bus transportation is largely contracted out to private operators which are responsible for their own digging out.

Where in the Northeast do they have to plow 200+ schools scattered over 400 square miles and dig out 1200+ buses?

[Alltheusernamesaretaken]

Originally Posted by car54

Apples and oranges.

In the Northeast, each town has their own school system with a handful of schools. Bus transportation is largely contracted out to private operators which are responsible for their own digging out.

Where in the Northeast do they have to plow 200+ schools scattered over 400 square miles and dig out 1200+ buses?

True, most districts are not as huge as this, but it's usually the same area that would have to be cleared. Clearing 200+ schools is clearing 200+ schools, whether it is the resources of one district doing it or that of many. Remember that just because there may be many smaller districts does not mean they have sufficient/unlimited budgets.

For things like dealing with adverse weather, the large district here is absurd. One part of the county may have an inch of slush while other parts have nothing, half may have power while the other half doesn't. It is far preferable in most other cases, though, I've found ... eliminating so many school boards, superintendents, etc.