We all know the feeling of seeing snow falling and crossing our fingers that school will be cancelled the next day, but there is much more that goes into the decision than we might think. Principal Sam Procopio has the responsibility of making this choice, and he takes all things into consideration.

Firstly, he watches the weather closely the night before and predicts what will happen. Is there little enough snow that it will just melt before the morning? Or is it snowing hard enough for potential ice on the roads? Whatever the case may be, Procopio is on the lookout so that he can let families know the decision as soon as possible.

“The number one thing that goes into an inclement weather delay or cancellation is safety” said Procopio. “I will always err on the side of safety when making a decision about whether to close school”

If the roads are icy and unsafe for students to be driving on, there is a much higher chance of school being cancelled. Even though the amount of ice may differ depending on where each individual student lives, and some students might be able to make it to school just fine, he has to consider everyone’s safety.

“We consider how geographically diverse our student population is” said Procopio. “In other words, it may be sunny over Blanchet, but if the rest of the city is blanketed in snow and ice we will take that into consideration”.

Cancelling school also affects our weekly school schedule. Teachers have to adjust their schedules and lessons depending on weather it was a green or gold day that was cancelled.

With all of this, timing is also a huge factor. Normally, the decision is made the morning of and an email or text is sent to all parents and faculty. They try and let everyone know by 5:30 am the morning of. This is especially important considering some families have long commutes so it’s important to let them know before they leave for school.