Your own snow day

A lot of folks are criticizing the Douglas County School District's decision to hold school despite a major snowstorm that gridlocked much of Western Nevada.

Other jurisdictions closed their schools on Monday, including the university and community colleges, Lyon, Washoe, Storey and Carson City.

Compounding the confusion was conflicting information being broadcast about whether and when the schools would be open.

Radio and television stations announced a two-hour delay for Douglas schools, something that was only true at Lake Tahoe.

The decision to hold school when everyone else was closing was definitely a different one. But was it the wrong one?

The school district faced the same decision every other employer in Western Nevada had on Monday. Many private employers chose to remain open rather than lose a day's profits. Many private workers chose to go to work rather than lose a day's pay. In some cases, they weren't given the choice.

For every person complaining now about the schools being open there are several who would have found themselves without the means to watch their children.

The government has the luxury of shutting down non-essential services when things get too rough. The rest of us must balance our safety against our needs and make a decision on that basis.

For parents, when it's snowing buckets, and there are concerns about whether it's safe to go to school, make the decision for your family. On Monday that probably meant declaring your own snow day.