We all long for that recorded voice tone when calling the DCSD school cancellation hotline at 6 a.m. to tell us school is canceled for all of Douglas County whenever there is more than three inches of snow on the ground.

The district has certain regulations and protocols in place to determine whether or not it should be a snow day, a 90 minute delay or a regular schedule.

If blizzard conditions with snow building at one inch per hour are forecasted between 3 a.m. and 2 p.m. a closure recommendation will be issued. Other conditions that result in a closure recommendation are drifting and blowing snow and a forecast of greater than five inches of snow. If conditions are not expected to improve by 9 a.m. more closure recommendations will be given.

Reports about road conditions are given by police officers, road crews and bus drivers at 4 a.m. These reports hold a large influence on the decision, as students who take the bus will not be able to make it to school if busses cannot safely complete their routes.

In an ongoing Twitter poll by Vista Now, over 75% of Vista Now followers said they did not feel safe driving to school today. Conditions are not supposed to improve by 9 a.m. but weather.com does not forecast over five inches. If one or more of the criteria for closures/delays are met, a recommendation is given, but how much influence do these recommendations hold if there was no delay today?

Clearly many students did not feel students did not feel safe making the trip to school this morning, so are the current closure regulations fit for students in Douglas County?

If you feel there should be a change in regulations, you can call DCSD at 303-387-0100 and express your concern for your and other’s safety when navigating the icy roads in the mornings.

Link to DCSD closure information: https://www.dcsdk12.org/school-closure-status