Something I've noticed has changed, since the 'olden days' when I was in school

[Siwsan]

School districts are very proactive when it comes to calling 'snow days'. Mid-Michigan is under a weather advisory for the possible 3 to 6" of snow that runs until 10:30, tonight. ALL of the schools are closed.

I walked to school, regardless of the weather, and know I trod through that much snow, if not more. Snow days were really quite rare.

Don't get me wrong - I think this is a good thing. The 911 report isn't too active, right now, but I bet it will be in a few hours.

[Diamond_Dog]

1. NE Ohio here

In my youth, snow days were very rare, here, as well. I never took a bus to school, (there wasn’t one provided for my neighborhood) so I always walked, and sometimes it was a 45 minute walk if the snow was deep. Every school in my county today is closed, I live on a main road and it’s clear down to the pavement. Maybe they’re worried about ice later on after the temp rises above freezing.

[Siwsan]

3. I do think they are concerned about this afternoon's road conditions

My brother is a school bus driver so I'm glad I won't have to worry about him dealing with idiot's who pay no attention to road conditions.

[hlthe2b]

2. I walked too. It seems a lot schools discourage students walking unless with parent

because of the increase in child abduction and other threats. That is so damned sad to me.

[Siwsan]

4. Sad, indeed.

I think the distance we walked was just under a mile, for high school. Less for elementary/junior high. Most was through a neighborhood but the walk to the high school included walking beside a stretch of highway. I remember several kids were hit by cars when they didn't bother waiting for the traffic light.

[Elessar Zappa]

10. I believe I've read that

child abductions are no higher than they’ve ever been. It’s just reported on more and people are more cautious. I’ll try and find a link

Edit: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2015/04/14/theres-never-been-a-safer-time-to-be-a-kid-in-america/#:~:text=The%20FBI%20has%20several%20decades,by%2040%20percent%20since%201997.

[hlthe2b]

11. Perception is everything and I do agree that there is more reporting.

[unweird]

12. Thanks

It’s been my perception for some time now that the rate of reporting was increased and not necessarily the actual rate of abductions. And of the actual abductions they are mostly non-custodial parent affairs or so it seems to me. Again, all my perceptions.

[Ptah]

5. From my parents:

[Siwsan]

7. My Dad had quite a tale to tell

He said they were so poor that they couldn't afford shoes so after he walked through deep snow in his bare feet, 5 miles, up a steep hill, to school he had to color his feet with shoe polish so he wouldn't LOOK like he was barefoot.

I thought the dyed feet was a nice touch.

Of course, since he lived in the city of Flint and Flint is not known for having steep hills, we were suspicious.

[wnylib]

18. My father and his 8 siblings lived

on a farm on a very isolated dirt road in rural PA. They did chores, like milking the cows, before walking to a one room country schoolhouse about 3 miles away going across fields instead of following established roads. Since their rural area was not well plowed, road vs. fields made no difference. They warmed up and dried off by the wood burning stove at the school.

Not a tall tale from my father.

But, my first husband's father told us a ridiculous tale at dinner one time about walking 5 miles to school without boots in winter. I knew that his family had lived in a small town in PA and the school was in town, less than a mile away. He was a stern SOB so nobody contradicted him, but the story was so ludicrous that I blurted out, "Wow. You must have gone to school with my father."

He didn't say anything, but my husband's brothers snickered and his mother quickly changed the subject.

I grew up in the city (Erie). The grade school and junior high were just a few blocks away. The high school was about a mile away. No school buses in town. We walked. There were very few snow days then.

But today, even city kids are bused to and from school or are driven by parents, so I think that road conditions contribute to increased snow days now.

[LakeArenal]

8. My parents' trek was uphill both ways.

[Freddie]

6. My district took a chance and the result was horrible

March 2018. They were calling for “some snow changing to rain” so schools were open as usual. Mid-morning started to get heavy wet snow that froze on the roads and showed no sign of stopping. Trees down all over the place. Buses, when they finally got to the schools, took up to 6 hours to deliver the kids. Some kids stayed in the schools overnight. I was working in one of the schools, staff was dismissed after the kids (finally) got on the bus and a 20 minute drive took 3 terrifying hours (PT Cruisers are NOT good in bad weather). Most frightening drive of my life.
Ever since then the district has called snow days or early dismissal very cautiously. Most people are grateful.

[SheltieLover]

9. Virtual classes?

[ironflange]

13. We never had snow days, no matter what

We had to go outside for recess too. I can remember playing soccer in a foot of snow, that was a good workout.

[RobinA]

14. I've Noticed This

I took the bus to school. We were lucky if we had one snow day a year. The buses just strapped on the chains and came ringing down the street. Now if there's the possibility of snow they call a snow day. NOT saying I wish I were still in school, I'll take my day over today when it comes to...well, just about anything.

[Mr.Bill]

15. I would imagine since the pandemic

schools have everything in place to go to virtual classes, so why not be more prone to shut the school building down if there's going to be snow. Is that what they are doing?

[Siwsan]

16. I don't think so.

This would be the first snow day of the season and it's late January. Not sure how many they are allowed but unless we get hammered in February/early March, they probably won't use them up.

[AngryOldDem]

21. Here yesterday, most schools had e-learning.

Only a handful had a heart and outright closed for the day. It was a great snow to go out and play in, if you were so inclined.

[Phentex]

17. We had flurries once and they let us out to play in it...

grew up in south Georgia so there was no snow. I can't remember a single school closure. Or half days.

[sarge43]

19. About that walking to school

The local high school is ten miles from the local elementary school.

Current weather report here in rural NH. Four inches of snow overnight and now raining. The ground snow is turning to greasy slop. The snow removal gang might have the major roads cleaned by 8am, but they won't have all the others done by noon, if that soon. More snow due o/a noon.

Off freeways a fair share of the local roads has six inches of verge on either side of a granite ridge or a five foot drop to a body of water.

Let's put it this way: The local body shops are singing "My God, how the money rolls in."

[AngryOldDem]

20. My first snow day was in 8th grade.

A very momentous occasion, since my urban district NEVER closed. But it began to extensively bus students around that time so I think that drove a lot of decisions to close going forward.

But yes, I too trudged through much snow on my way to elementary school back in the day when my mom was too afraid to drive. Not fun.