SUNNYVALE, Texas — The timing of the possible wintry mix makes it tricky for school officials to make the call: do we cancel classes or send kids to school?
WFAA wanted to know, what goes into that decision making process?
“The easy decision of course are the ones you can make the day before,” said Doug Williams, the superintendent for Sunnyvale ISD.
As the timeline continues to change for the upcoming winter weather for North Texas, it’s a tough call.
Over at Sunnyvale ISD, Superintendent Williams let WFAA in on their decision making process.
“We work together, we collaborate, we start talking,” said Williams.
Williams and several other superintendents closely monitor the weather, and have conversations within other school districts.
“I have colleagues that are to the northwest of us, that I may send a text to Coppell, which the weather there gets to Coppell an hour before it gets here,” said Williams.
Williams takes it upon himself, and tests the roads out before canceling school for the day.
“We normally try to communicate between 5, and 5:30 the morning of, that’s if we for sure don’t know what’s going on,” said Williams.
Over at Dallas ISD, school officials say, when canceling classes, the process goes like the following: they research information about the timing, to what road conditions may look like for school busses, and parents dropping off their kids.
Dallas school officials also connect with city officials, police, and key agencies and collect data. With all of that in mind, the superintendent makes the final call.
“You always air on the side of caution,” said Williams.
With that in mind, some school districts will have students make up for the day at the end of the year.
“There is a chance you may have to extend your school year, or extend the school day themselves,” said Williams.
Larger school districts told WFAA, the latest they can make a decision to cancel school for the day is by 6 a.m. the day of the inclement weather.
“Right now, we need them in school. We missed time because of the pandemic,” said Williams.