Snowfall causes several MCCSC closings

This year’s snowy weather has caused Monroe County Community School Corporation to cancel school three times in the past three weeks.

Thursday was the most recent snow day since classes resumed from winter break Jan. 3 and the fourth snow day of the 2010-11 school year.

Although four snow days isn’t an unusually high number, Director of School and Community Services Beverly Smith admitted three snow days in three weeks is unusual.

“I don’t know that there is a typical number (of snow days) in Bloomington because our snow and weather patterns can be atypical,” Smith said. “This is quite a lot in a short amount of time.”

While IU students may complain about trudging to classes in the snow, weather conditions are often much worse in rural parts of Monroe County.

“I think you have to understand that we really do have a wide county with a lot of terrain and land conditions,” Smith said. “You have to make a decision for those that are lying out in the county.”

MCCSC parent Renea Hicks lives 12 miles south of Bloomington High School South where her son Ian Hicks is a junior. Hicks said she’s understanding of all of the snow days because of how far from Bloomington her family lives.

“Snow removal this far out...we haven’t even seen a snow plow yet,” Hicks said at 3:50 p.m. Thursday. “It’s probably justified.”

Another concern for MCCSC is not canceling school when bad weather comes and having students get stuck in schools, unable to leave.

The last day of school, which was May 27 before the snow days, is now June 3. MCCSC has not had to change the date of graduation yet.

MCCSC Superintendent John Coopman makes the decision to call a snow day after a team of employees from extended services, transportation and planning from MCCSC advises him on road conditions.

“We make our calls for snow days before 6 a.m. every morning,” Smith said. “Our drivers are out driving the roads as early as 2:30 or 3 o’clock in the morning.”

Leann Lipe, a kindergarten teacher at Fairview Elementary, said adjusting her lesson plans due to snow days can be a bit difficult.

“It’s unfortunate it happened at this time because we’re trying to finish up things with the semester,” Lipe said. “It’s been hard.”

However, Lipe said her kindergartners seem happy to be back after a snow day.

“I think they adjust back to the routine pretty well,” Lipe said.