HONESDALE -- Schools in the Midwest cancelled school on Monday, not because of the snow, but because of the cold. And it could happen in our area as well, if it gets cold enough.
Some school districts have already used several snow days this year, most of them because of the snow. Now some districts are eyeing the possibility of closing due to frigid temperatures and wind chills on Tuesday. We spoke to school officials in Wayne County about our rough winter weather.
It’s been an eventful winter to say the least for people living in Wayne County. From a few flakes to several inches, Mother Nature has been making it tricky this year for school administrators.
"It's always a tough call for us but student safety is always the reasons we make those decisions," said Wayne Highlands Superintendent Greg Frigoletto.
For the first time this year some districts will have to figure out whether or not to have school on Tuesday not because of the snow, but because of the cold.
"They definitely shouldn't be in school. I mean, I know they have heat in the schools but that's still too cold for them to be standing out at the bus stop, way too cold,” said Christine Sites of Honesdale.
Sites isn't the only parent who wants her kids to stay home. Deidre Smith who works at Kays Restaurant in Lake Ariel agrees.
"You know, a lot of kids have to be at the school bus, parents have to work and for them to be standing out in the cold just wouldn't be a good idea."
While parents are concerned about the dangerous wind chills, they're also worried about all the snow that has been melting, that will likely freeze, overnight.
"I'd rather have them home than have them on a bus and not know how they're going to make it,” said Luz Otero of Hawley.
School officials at Western Wayne say they will be keeping an eye on the icy conditions as well as the frigid air. They'll also get a consensus of what other local schools plan to do about the cold.
Wayne Highlands Superintendent Greg Frigoletto says, right now they aren't ruling anything out.
"We'll have to determine in the morning whether or not we should be in, whether we should have a delay or whether or not we should try and get in on time. We'll have to gauge a lot of different scenarios of what we'll do. The possibility exists though that there will be some schedule change based on the cold temperatures."
School officials say they will make the call on whether or not cancel or delay school either late Monday or early Tuesday morning.