District takes heat for snow day call

Officials of the Douglas County School District faced more than a snowstorm Monday morning.

The district's decision to keep all Valley schools open, when neighboring school districts had decided the opposite, precipitated a storm of outcry and concern from parents and students alike.

"Is education really put before the student's safety?" Douglas High senior Jeremy Tigh wrote in a letter to the editor in today's Record-Courier. "Surely risking the drive through the snow, the possibility of accidents is worth it? I find it a little crazy sometimes of the efforts that our school goes through to ensure that the kids make it there, as do my parents."

Tigh said he missed his bus Monday morning after hearing on the news there was a 2-hour delay at Douglas schools, which he later learned was inaccurate.

"There was no way that my parents would let me risk the drive through Jacks Valley in my 1990 Honda Accord," he said. "So I am now stuck at home, missing school that shouldn't even be taking place."

Assistant Superintendent Rich Alexander said Monday he understands the concerns of parents and students.

"We had to make the call early this morning, around 4:45; we were already chaining up around 7 a.m.," Alexander said. "We count on the drivers for feed back. We don't want to send kids home to empty houses. There's no guarantee we can get in touch with all parents, so we'll hold them for the day. The kids are safe at school. We invite parents to pick up their kids if they want to."

Alexander said Whittell was closed because of a problem with its boiler, and Zephyr Cove was closed after drivers reported white-out conditions on Kingsbury Grade.

On Tuesday, schools were open as normal after district staff assessed road conditions early in the morning.

"The biggest problem here is that conditions can change on you around 6 a.m., and then you're limited because the buses are already rolling," Alexander said. "If people don't hear anything, then it's school as usual."

Alexander said parents are notified of school closures through the district's Web site, http://dcsd.k12.nv.us, local media and through an automated phone system, which he said was having some technical problems Monday morning.