Classes Resume Following Snowstorm Superintendent

Published February 4, 2010

After enjoying a long, snow-filled weekend, Williamson County students are back to their normal routine. Classes were cancelled Friday, January 29 when a strong storm dumped several inches of snow and ice on the region.

While it was a fun for the kids, the snow and ice that blanketed the ground created hazardous driving conditions across the district - prompting school officials to close Monday and Tuesday and open two hours late on Wednesday.

"The decision to close school is not an easy one, but the safety of the students will always come first," said WCS Superintendent Dr. Mike Looney. "By opening two hours late on Wednesday, the bus drivers had plenty of daylight to assess road conditions as we still had about ten roads that still had some snow."

Williamson County Schools has spotters located throughout the county who keep an eye on road conditions. They submit pictures from across the county to help the district make informed decisions on closing school.

The snow event Williamson County experienced was rare, so equipment and supplies needed to clear snow and ice was not readily available. The mixture of ice, snow and freezing temperatures, made the clearing of school entrances, parking lots and walkways exceptionally difficult. County Mayor Rogers Anderson helped coordinate efforts to help students get back to school.

“Mayor Anderson helped the district secure assistance from the county’s Highway and Sheriff’s departments who worked with our Maintenance Department to clear school parking lots and walkways and make them safe for students and staff,” said Looney. “We would have missed an additional day of school without these extra efforts."

The Highway Department was able to send heavy equipment to the hardest hit schools to clear the entrances and parking lots, and the Sheriff’s Department provided prisoner labor to assist in clearing sidewalks and access ramps in locations that were not accessible by heavy equipment.

So far, the district has used five of the 10 inclement weather days built into the 2009-10 calendar. Any additional days missed would be rescheduled.