By Steve Mayer
In light of our early December snowfall, it is important to share with parents, guardians and community members the protocol the school district uses to determine schedule changes due to weather conditions.
Given that predicting the weather is an inexact science, it is essential that we make decisions as strategically as possible. A decision to alter the regular school day is always based upon the immediate safety of our students, the availability of busses and the impact of such decisions on working parents, as well as on those whose work takes place at home.
On days when the forecast calls for inclement weather, the Mercer County superintendents hold a conference call at 4:30 a.m. This early morning call allows decisions about altering the school schedule to be communicated to the extended school community by 5:15 a.m.
Prior to the call, it is the responsibility of each superintendent to check weather models, confer with school and township officials as appropriate and consider the unique needs of their individual communities. When it is already snowing, the decision process is an easy one. At other times, such as with the Dec. 10 snowfall, the process is much more complex. Nevertheless, using the available information and keeping the best interest of students and parents in mind, each district makes a determination.
Once a decision has been made, a multi-facet communication process begins. Given that many of our more than 300 staff members travel a distance to Robbinsville, it is essential that we reach out to them as soon as possible, particularly to our high school staff, some of whom begin their daily commute as early as 5:30 a.m. Since many of our parents have work schedules to follow and find it difficult to determine child care options without enough advance warning, it is vital to their interests, as well, that we activate our district wide call system as early as possible. Finally, our bus drivers must have enough time to ready their busses if students are to arrive on time.
Given all of these components and the reality that a decision can take as long as a half hour to communicate to all constituency, I hold fairly strictly to the 5:15 a.m. decision point.
We are fortunate that methods of communicating information have improved vastly since the days when parents had to rely solely upon radio broadcasts. Currently, the district email and phone communication system is updated from Genesis, our student information system, on a monthly basis. Parents can review and update their contact information through the online gradebook in Genesis at any point during the school year.
We have recently started a Twitter feed. This is especially helpful for our high school students, as well as many of our parents. (Follow us at @RvilleSchools.) Finally, the district website at robbinsville.k12.nj.us always maintains the most up-to-date information.
We appreciate your patience as we work through what may be a snowy winter. Please know that we will make every effort to make decisions that reflect our collective interests.
If, as we navigate the months ahead, there is a time in which you are not comfortable with the district’s weather-related decision, please feel free to exercise your own judgment as a parent. Our ongoing partnership in these matters is a key component to provide for and serve the best interests of our youngest constituents, our children.
Steve Mayer is superintendent of the Robbinsville School District.
