Cold weather a real risk to school children.

With the temperatures hitting unusual lows this month, there seems to be a recurring theme among some people concerning the closing of schools on these cold days. In response to these comments, let me remind those who may have forgotten, that first and foremost, our responsibility to children is to keep them safe. While some children are transported to school by parents, the majority of children are bus riders. Bus riders are required to watch for the bus and be ready to board quickly, as to do anything else would certainly delay getting to school on time. Even if the bus stops in front of their door, there must be some time spent in the cold temperatures to facilitate boarding in a timely manner. But, some children have to walk a distance to where the bus stops, and sometimes a parent will wait in a warm car with them. Of those whose parents have already left for work or simply have no transportation, going to school is a real danger (many fit this scenario). Missing a day of school cannot compare to the life of a child.

And then, there is a matter of clothing. Our winters seldom get this cold. For families who must choose a light weight coat versus a heavy coat, the choice will certainly be the lighter weight, as it is the most needed. This means that many children do not have appropriate hats, scarves, gloves and coats for the extreme temperatures. As a former teacher, I can assure you this is often the case. Even though teachers make sure students are winter ready, it does not include the heaviest coats for our normally milder winter months.

If that is not enough, there is a real risk that buses might break down in the extreme temperatures. Children stranded on a cold bus in extreme temperatures are at risk of getting frost bite. The same result would occur in the case of an accident in the extreme cold.

Missing a day or week of school, due to extreme temperatures, is preferable to putting children in danger. With these precious lives, it is wise to err on the side of caution. Children will still learn even in light of missing the days.