Washoe County Responds to Schools Being Open Today Despite Heavy Snow
The Washoe County School District has issued a lengthy statement about why there was school today. There was a two hour delay, but even with that, many school buses could be stuck on different roadways and one crashed into a car at Swope middle school.
Our Town Reno received multiple messages from students and parents furious that school had not been canceled with snow picking up in the early morning hours, creating extremely difficult road conditions.
The statement did not address a chorus of people asking if it was for the Nevada high school basketball state tournament to be able to take place tonight at Reno High and Spanish Springs.
Here is the statement:
“We understand that decisions about delaying or canceling school can be frustrating, and we want you to know that the Washoe County School District takes these decisions very seriously. We recognize the impact they have on our students, staff members, and families.
District leadership begins monitoring conditions starting the evening before and into the very early morning hours—often as early as 3:00 a.m. Transportation and operations staff check road temperatures, assess icy conditions, and evaluate whether roads have been plowed, sanded, or treated with deicer. We also closely monitor forecasts and work directly with local agencies, including law enforcement, NDOT, and the National Weather Service, to gather the most up-to-date information possible.
Specifically today, the information we received indicated temperatures would warm and conditions would improve as the morning progressed. Even with these resources and information, the weather can still be unpredictable. While safety is always our top priority, we must also balance that with the importance of maintaining regular school attendance and minimizing disruption to instruction whenever it is safe to do so.
Because of the size and geography of our district, predicting weather impacts can be especially challenging. Over time, we have determined that districtwide decisions are the most effective approach. In the past, regional delays or closures created significant complications due to cross-zone transportation of students, staff, and buses, which directly impacts other areas of the county (with the exception of Incline Village and Gerlach).
Please know that these decisions are not made lightly. District leadership works diligently to make the best possible determination for our more than 100 schools, approximately 60,000 students, and over 8,000 staff members based on the information available at the time. We also respect that families may make individual decisions if they feel conditions in their specific area are not safe for travel.
We appreciate you taking the time to share your concerns. Hearing from our families and community members is important, and we remain committed to continually evaluating and improving our processes while keeping student and staff safety at the forefront."
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