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Many kids take public transportation to school and many go to schools far away from their homes without school bus transportation (magnet schools, charter schools, etc.).
When this is the case and the buildings cannot accommodate students, yes. It's strange that people don't comprehend that policies and decisions for a small school district can't apply to a district with over 100 schools (that's just the public ones) in urban or heavily populated suburban schools district where kids easily travel an hour each way just to get to school especially if they are located in an area where winter temperatures vary, some years never dipping below 40 and never seeing snow or other years bone-chilling cold temps.
The reason schools close is not just for driving conditions. Its for walkers, and bus riders. Kids waiting at bus shops in below freezing temps is dangerous. Then you have those who walk to school because there is NO bus service. We lived in Colorado Springs and there were a couple below freezing days and let me tell you as soon as you walked out the door (we had to walk too) your face would freeze. It was pretty bad. I should also add that school did NOT allow kids inside the school until the bell rang! Children had to line out side by grade and class until their teacher walked them into the school. You can't have children outside for long periods of time. So school would be closed once the temp reached a certain temp.
I should add too that some people are making the assumption that everyone has the same winter clothing. Depends on your area. If your climate does not usually have freezes then the winter gear available won't be the same as in Alaska or CO. When we left Texas for CO we had to buy a whole new set of clothing. Our heavy Texas winter coats were not really heavy coats by CO standards, lol. Also, busses won't start. On really cold days you could expect the bus to be late in VA (when we lived there too). And NO we don't plug our cars in. Never heard of it until later in life.
I should add too that some people are making the assumption that everyone has the same winter clothing. Depends on your area. If your climate does not usually have freezes then the winter gear available won't be the same as in Alaska or CO. When we left Texas for CO we had to buy a whole new set of clothing. Our heavy Texas winter coats were not really heavy coats by CO standards, lol. .
Dressing in multiple layers is easy and cheap. It will make all but the lightest coat warm enough for 30 or so minutes at 0 degrees.
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Originally Posted by angiesu
Also, busses won't start. On really cold days you could expect the bus to be late in VA (when we lived there too). And NO we don't plug our cars in. Never heard of it until later in life.
On really cold days a good bus driver knows to arrive early to start the bus. My experience has been that vehicles aren't severely impacted until about -20f. Anything below that and you start having more dead batteries, inadequate anti-freeze, and frozen gas lines on improperly prepared vehicles. I will concede my inexperience with diesel engines. I know they are more finicky. Yet, somehow the schools in cold areas make it work.
Dressing in multiple layers is easy and cheap. It will make all but the lightest coat warm enough for 30 or so minutes at 0 degrees.
Small children are very susceptible to frostbite. Even in 30 minutes. I dress my children appropriately but not all parents do sadly. My sons winter coat had to be replaced multiple times because it kept getting stolen at school. Saw another little boy wearing the first one that was taken, with shorts. I figured the poor kid needed it. The last coat I purchased I labeled it like crazy. Even had a luggage tag attached to it.
On really cold days a good bus driver knows to arrive early to start the bus. My experience has been that vehicles aren't severely impacted until about -20f. Anything below that and you start having more dead batteries, inadequate anti-freeze, and frozen gas lines on improperly prepared vehicles. I will concede my inexperience with diesel engines. I know they are more finicky. Yet, somehow the schools in cold areas make it work.
High turn over with bus drivers in VA. Couldn't say how they were in CO. The school did away with all but two. And they charged a fee. The first winter in CO was rather mild. The next year had some record below freezing days. There were a LOT of walkers. This is the school that made the kids wait outside until the bell rang. Teachers came out and walked the kids in single file according to grade. So they cancelled school instead. It all depends on the school. Up North that is the norm. Every school is different. In VA there was only ONE route to school. The busses have to cross a single car bridge (cars have to take turns crossing bridge). Bridges are icy. One accident on that curvy country road and you are stuck. If it floods, road impassible. We had a lot of make up days last year. Whole extra week of school.
On really cold days a good bus driver knows to arrive early to start the bus. My experience has been that vehicles aren't severely impacted until about -20f. Anything below that and you start having more dead batteries, inadequate anti-freeze, and frozen gas lines on improperly prepared vehicles. I will concede my inexperience with diesel engines. I know they are more finicky. Yet, somehow the schools in cold areas make it work.
I'm glad you finally admit that you have no idea what you're talking about. And bears repeating........the incident you are referring to in your OP was 30 below, not 0. I really don't understand why you keep repeating 0.
Different school districts invest in equipment specific to the most common weather conditions experienced by the region. Indoor parking, engine block heaters, ignition heaters, A/C, etc. It's not cost effective at all to invest in equipment that may be used for a handful of days a year.
Consider: One northern Minnesota school says it has to be 15 below zero before kids are kept inside. But in areas along the East Coast, temperatures below 35 to 40 degrees could keep kids inside.
I'm glad you finally admit that you have no idea what you're talking about. And bears repeating........the incident you are referring to in your OP was 30 below, not 0. I really don't understand why you keep repeating 0.
Different school districts invest in equipment specific to the most common weather conditions experienced by the region. Indoor parking, engine block heaters, ignition heaters, A/C, etc. It's not cost effective at all to invest in equipment that may be used for a handful of days a year.
You are conflating wind chill with temperature. They are two different things. Here is a wind chill definition: a quantity expressing the effective lowering of the air temperature caused by the wind, especially as affecting the rate of heat loss from an object or human body or as perceived by an exposed person. Growing up in Montana we had a saying about wind chill: It is the measure used by people in other states so they can pretend they get as cold as a Montana winter.
I admit to not knowing much about diesel engines. Yep, guilty as charged. Gas engines can easily handle 0 degrees. I don't know for certain when diesel fuel is impacted by the cold. I DO know it is regularly dealt with at 0 (as you can see by the definition above, engines aren't going to be impacted by wind chill.) degrees. And, I do know that 0 is only about 20 degrees outside the norm for a Chicago winter.
Incidentally, I have learned in this thread that most Chicago kids aren't bussed by school busses. So, that negates your bussing argument anyhow. Unless the public bus system went down, that can't be why the district decided to close.
Cold weather? I know plenty. Walked to school when it was well below freezing as an elementary student. Camped multiple times at -20, not including wind chill. Went to school at -30 too many times to count, not including wind chill. Had my school finally close at -65, not including wind chill. (I drove into town and rented some movies for those days.)
When I've made comments or asked questions about the cold in this thread it is because I have dealt with it myself in getting to school.
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