West Orange Schools Call Snow Day With No Emergency Days Left

WEST ORANGE, NJ — With no emergency days remaining in reserve, administrators in the West Orange Public School District made the “tricky and difficult” decision to close on Thursday due to a snowy weather forecast.

The district posted the following message on social media about Thursday’s snow day:

“The district will be closed [on Jan. 20] for an emergency snow day, and to all activities and instruction including virtual instruction. The timing of the start of the precipitation, changeover, and difficulty in predicting the road conditions for buses at the transportation times have admittedly made this a tricky and difficult call. Thank you in advance for your time, attention, and understanding. [Superintendent Scott Cascone] will communicate the district plans for addressing the use of emergency days later this week. Stay safe.”

Earlier this month, Cascone announced that the district has used up all of its emergency closing days for the year. The superintendent said:

“Should circumstances result in the need for additional emergency days to close schools, moving forward: the first day that will be used will be the June 7 date, primary elections, which will be substituted as a school day. A second emergency closing will be recovered by adding a day to the end of the year. The district will also be exploring the permissibility of emergency authorization to utilize a virtual day in lieu of a snow day. Every effort will be made to not impact the spring break and all options are being vetted by our administrators and board members.”

The decision to close schools on Thursday raised some eyebrows on social media. “Why can’t it just be a delayed opening, roads are fine,” one person commented.

“This is embarrassing,” another person wrote. “I don’t even know how I’m supposed to tell my bosses that there’s a snow day. They’re going to look at me like I’m crazy ... I don’t get it.”

But other local residents said they appreciated the caution, perhaps remembering the snap snowstorm that trapped hundreds of students across the district in school overnight in 2018.

• Read More: West Orange Teachers Show True Grit When Snowstorm Traps Students
• Read More: West Orange Students Trapped After Snow Stalls Buses (PHOTOS)

“Deciding to close schools is never an easy decision,” one person wrote on the district’s social media post. “Thank you for weighing all the options and making decisions based on the health and safety of the [West Orange public school] community. As I look out the window at the rain turning to snow, I’m grateful that I don’t have to put myself or my children in harm’s way getting them to school.”

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