Over the course of January, we experienced some very cold weather and a chance of winter precipitation on a couple of different occasions. When a chance of severe winter weather is possible, schools and businesses must make the tough decision to close or remain open. Due to predicted winter weather last week, Union Public School District had to make this decision last Tuesday. Kallie and I asked UPSD Superintendent Dr. Tyler Hansford about what goes into closing school and how the decision is made. We received information regarding the importance of education and safety and how UPSD’s administration takes those factors into consideration. Both are important, and the people who make decisions on bad weather days make those choices in the best interest for students and staff.
Dr. Hansford explains that the decision to close school or keep it running ultimately rests with him, but he has help. Dr. Hansford, the transportation director, and the safety director gather information about the weather for the day. They monitor the weather and the forecasts multiple days before the storm is scheduled to hit and look more closely and in depth closer to the supposed time. Dr. Hansford adds that he has multiple different weather apps on his phone, giving him various sources of information. Dr. Hansford and the transportation and safety directors also reach out to neighboring schools to see if they see the same information. They also check to see if the governor has declared a state of emergency. If the governor declares a state of emergency, that school day does not have to be made up. If no state of emergency is called, the day must be made up.
Dr. Hansford considers many things when making the decision to close school or not. He knows the importance of education. It is important for students to be at school as much as possible and deciding to close school is a tough decision. Dr. Hansford looks at other aspects as well. He explains by stating that some students come to school for “food, safety, and belonging” that they may not receive at home. Dr. Hansford adds in making this decision, he makes the decision he would make for his own family. He then explains that safety is always the most important factor: “The last thing we want to do is put students and staff at risk because we're being stubborn. Our top priority is safety and we can never lose sight of that.” Kallie and I asked Dr. Hansford how he feels after he makes the difficult decision to cancel school or to remain open. He states, “I am at peace. It's annoying when we close and hardly anything happens, but I can always be at peace knowing that I made the best decision I could with the information I had.” Dr. Handford makes a decision that will best benefit UPSD.
Dr. Hansford also would like to remind parents that ultimately, they can decide whether or not to send their children to school on a day when weather conditions seem worrisome. He explains that while schoolwork must be made up, the school “will never push back on a parent who decides their child needs to stay home. That's one reason that parents have five parentally excused absences per semester.”
Dr. Hansford and all who aid in the decision-making process look at many factors when considering whether or not to close school due to the weather forecast. They understand the importance of students attending school but also recognize that safety is the most important aspect. Dr. Hansford and all administrators at Union Public School district make decisions that will only grow the Union Public School District. Thank you for your love and dedication to everyone at UPSD, Dr. Hansford!
