1/10/2010 11:00:00 PM LETTERS: Who makes decision on delays, closing?
To the Editor,
Lets talk school closings and two-hour delays for Southmont.
I am very concerned about who, why and when the decisions are made to cancel or delay school in Montgomery county. Let's talk Thursday Jan. 7, 2010. I watched the local news for an hour before I leave for a 40-minute drive to work and it is for certain that the highways and especially the county roads were dangerous and getting worse. On Thursday Jan. 7, 2010, by the time I left for work there were several school closings and Southmont was not included. I didn't think too much about it as I left thinking that they had just not reported yet of the closing.
Then later I phoned my wife from work and she told me that she had called Southmont because there was no cancellation or delay to report that my 16-year-old daughter would not be in school today. The person she contacted politely asked her why she would not be in school and my wife replied that it was because she did not want her to drive with the road conditions as they were and then dismiss early when the road conditions were most likely not going to improve but get worse and have to drive home. I might add that no bus should even be out risking our kids' lives in these conditions.
My daughter has not had very much experience driving under these conditions, although we have tried to get her familiar with driving in these conditions as weather and timing permits. She could have taken the bus which picks her up about one hour earlier than when she drives, which it is pitch dark and although this is not the schools fault, thanks to the time change no child should be standing along side a busy and dnagerous highway in the dark, even if the weather is good. It was just a few years ago I could not leave for work on time because a gentleman lost his life after a head on collision right where the kids have to stand in the dark to wait on the bus which is much more dangerous in bad weather.
As far as a two-hour delay for fog (especially is stupid) because after years of driving I know that I would rather drive in the dark in a dense fog than in daylight because you can at least see some glow of on coming lights rather than no warning in day light. If it is defnse fog don't delay, cancel. There have been many accidents involving school buses state wide in the past few years, lets not wait until a serious accident happens to wake up! I don't know what the school is trying to prove but it is not worth the risk.
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