School district superintendents across Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan are keeping a close eye on the forecast.
The concern isn't about getting kids to school because the weather will be clear until around lunch time. The concern is about getting them home safely.
Should superintendents stay open, close, or dismiss early?
When one degree can make a big difference in the severity of the storm, it's a tough call.
"It's one of these situations where if you close at 5:30 a.m. based on what may happen at two o'clock, you could be a genius and people are saying, ‘Boy, great call,'" says Tom Hosler, Perrysburg Schools Superintendent. "Or we could have rain and 40 degrees and no school and people are saying, ‘What's wrong with you?'"
The sun is shining on Monday and very well may be Tuesday morning, but school district superintendents, especially in rural areas, are worried about the weather rolling in on Tuesday afternoon.
"There's a couple pieces to this that gives us a little bit of heartburn more so than normal. One is the timing," says Hosler.
This winter, storms have hit early enough to make the decision to delay or close schools quite easy.
However, on Tuesday it'll be around lunch time.
The superintendent of Otsego Schools says it's too early to tell, but his district may dismiss early for the safety of the more than 1,000 students who take the bus.
"It'll definitely be an interesting afternoon as we monitor the weather and determine if we will need to make a decision on exiting school early," says Adam Koch, Superintendent of Otsego Schools.
"What really scares me is the ice because that is the wild card," says Hosler.
Perrysburg's superintendent believes contacting parents and sending kids home early is a logistical nightmare.
Hosler will likely either be all in or all out. He says he'll make the decision to stay open or close altogether around 5 a.m.
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