Heads up!  There is a valid reason why DeKalb County, Tennessee schools are called off before it snows.

The brief, personally encapsulated answer to the above statement is “To keep kids safe.”

When I was young, snowfall was measured in feet – not inches.  To walk outdoors, a person’s feet would melt in the accumulation and it seemed as if there were 20,000 bowls of snow cream waiting to be gathered from my front lawn.

The entirety of the county-wide closings is totally based on the safety of the children, said Joey Reeder, Attendance Supervisor of the local school system.

The local procedure in suspending schools because of inclement winter weather also is that it’s a “follow the leader” scenario.  The local school system cancels schools and follows suit with other Middle Tennessee counties.  As a valid entry, if other counties in the Upper Cumberland region decide to close schools, so does DeKalb County officials.  It’s as simple as that.

Rather than miss a multitude of school days, why not implement a virtual learning classroom?  It would be a classroom at home and homework would be given.  You can’t do anything else on a snowy, frigid day.  It would be on the same premises as church services posted and sent virally on Sundays for those persons unavailable to attend the services live.   Yes, there are “snow days” allocated in the school calendar.  They’re “built in.”

In a legal bi-lateral argument regarding if it is safer to call roads headed to school or if the parents have time to make further additional arrangements.”

Reeder said that the local Director of Schools, Patrick Cripps, always made the open/closed calls after other school personnel
notify him of the road conditions, and this includes the forecast/road conditions from the top weather reporting media in Tennessee.  Last Wednesday, DeKalb County schools were closed at 3:30 p.m. for Thursday; last Thursday, local schools were closed before 1:30 p.m. for Friday.

I’m sorry.  On a personal note, I don’ remember DeKalb County schools closing BEFORE it snowed during the winter months.  Most of the time, we had to listen to broadcast media (radios) the preceding night to learn the next day’s decision.  Sometimes, television channels might have the verdict.  WJLE was in the infantile stage.  Many years ago, when it would show a great deal throughout DeKalb County, the notification of closed school was done by “word of mouth,” similar to Paul Revere when he yelled, “The British are Coming” during his midnight ride through Boston and the other British colonies.
Schools often closed before it snowed “to prioritize the safety of students and staff by preventing them from traveling on potentially dangerous roads during the heaviest snowfall and icy conditions, especially when considering the need for school buses to navigate to pick up students and the potential for poor visibility when driving,” wrote the Tennessee Education Association.”

The key points about public school closures BEFORE it snows follows:
• Safety first.  The primary reason for closing schools before a snowstorm is to ensure the safety of students, teachers, and bus drivers during travel to and from school.
• Road conditions:  Snowfall can quickly create slippery roads, making driving hazardous and increasing the risk of accidents.
• Visibility issues:  Heavy snowfall can significantly reduce visibility, further complicating driving conditions.
• Early preparation:  By closing before the snow begins, families have time to make necessary arrangements, such as adjusting work schedules or finding childcare options, if needed.
• Decision-making factors:  School administrators typically consider weather forecasts, road conditions, and the potential impacts on transportation when deciding to close due to snow.

On another corresponding note, the question remains:  Who is liable for a Tennessee school bus accident?  Or more specifically, a snow-affected crash?

“There may be various parties who could be held under the Tennessee Tort Government Liability Act.  There is no set amount of compensation paid to school bus crash victims in Tennessee,” wrote TN Law.  However, should there be a school bus accident relative to a recent snowfall, the owning parties can be sued.

In conjunction with closing schools early to avoid a bus crash, there is no mention or actions related to the legal aspect of a bus crash caused by inclement weather (snow), continued Reeder.  Therefore, schools don’t close early for fear of a school bus accident in the snow.  Again, the early closure is based on the safety of the students.