As the winter weather rolls through, school educators are faced with a decision of deciding whether schools need to close to keep students safe.

St. Joseph superintendent Kristen Bawks tells us she, along with the transporation department, coordinate and determine road conditions among other things to let families know as soon as possible.

“We begin analyzing road conditions as early as 4:30 in the morning and try to make a decision before 6 a.m. if the weather allows for that,” Bawks says. “There are so many different conditions that are factors in the decision to close or to remain open, but keeping student safety at the center of our decision-making is always first and foremost important.”

Bawks says whether its a storm happening during the school day or after, they use the same procedure when it comes to canceling events and activities. 

“We look at what the forecast is at the time of different events in the evening and take into consideration what the road conditions could look like then, the temperature, the wind gusts, the amount of snow predicted,” Bawks says. “We just determine whether or not it will be safe for our students to be out on the roads and make the best decision we can about that.”

If there is any school closure for any district, families will be notified via social media and messaging from the superintendent.