Number of factors go into closing school
Strongsville Superintendent Cameron Ryba made the decision to keep students home Jan. 30
Strongsville City Schools were closed Jan. 30 due to snow squalls during the early morning hours. Photo by TERRY BRLAS
STRONGSVILLE - Winter raised its ugly head during the early morning hours of Jan. 30 with snow and wind. Many area school districts closed for that day, including Strongsville.
Even though the district directly to the south, Brunswick, held classes, Strongsville Superintendent Cameron Ryba made the decision to keep students at home on Jan. 30. The decision was not an easy one to make and involved a variety of factors.
"We talk about road conditions in the city, we talk about what our parking lots and sidewalks look like, the amount of snow and how fast it's coming and whether we can keep up with it," Ryba said.
This Jan. 30 closing was more of when the snow fell as opposed to a long-term weather issue.
"We look at the forecast to see if we are expecting much more snow and make the decision accordingly. Yesterday (Jan. 30) it was the timing of the snow," Ryba said. "
Weather aside, Ryba then checks with the transportation supervisor to determine whether the buses can make their rounds safely based on road conditions.
Strongsville is a mostly urban district, but there are some rural and side streets to be considered. That also factors into the decision whether to send the buses out or close schools for the day.
"We're not as disparate as some communities. We not only look at the main roads, but also our neighborhoods," Ryba said. "We also want to look at the conditions for our parents dropping off our students and for our students waiting at the bus stop. It's not only about how the main thoroughfares of Strongsville look, but it's about whether the city (service department) has been able to work into our side streets and neighborhoods so it's a safe passageway for our parents and buses."
Even though the district directly to the south, Brunswick, held classes, Strongsville Superintendent Cameron Ryba made the decision to keep students at home on Jan. 30. The decision was not an easy one to make and involved a variety of factors.
"We talk about road conditions in the city, we talk about what our parking lots and sidewalks look like, the amount of snow and how fast it's coming and whether we can keep up with it," Ryba said.
This Jan. 30 closing was more of when the snow fell as opposed to a long-term weather issue.
"We look at the forecast to see if we are expecting much more snow and make the decision accordingly. Yesterday (Jan. 30) it was the timing of the snow," Ryba said. "
Weather aside, Ryba then checks with the transportation supervisor to determine whether the buses can make their rounds safely based on road conditions.
Strongsville is a mostly urban district, but there are some rural and side streets to be considered. That also factors into the decision whether to send the buses out or close schools for the day.
"We're not as disparate as some communities. We not only look at the main roads, but also our neighborhoods," Ryba said. "We also want to look at the conditions for our parents dropping off our students and for our students waiting at the bus stop. It's not only about how the main thoroughfares of Strongsville look, but it's about whether the city (service department) has been able to work into our side streets and neighborhoods so it's a safe passageway for our parents and buses."