One great aspect of Kingswood Oxford is that it brings in students from all over Connecticut. However, this needs to be considered when making the decision to have school on days when the weather forecast shows a potential hazard.
The lack of consciousness about hazardous conditions on the Kingswood Oxford campus presents a number of risks for everyone in the community. With KO having an outdoor campus, it is required to go outside between classes regardless of the weather. With the snow that has been around for the past month, sometimes the sidewalks and parking lot can be slippery, and students risk falling no matter how careful they are. I know the maintenance crew tries their hardest to keep up when there is snow during the day, but sometimes there is simply just too much snow.
When the sidewalks are slippery, oftentimes the roads are as well. Most notably, on Tuesday, Jan. 26, the school did not call a half-day. Both parents and students were expected to drive home in dangerous conditions. Surrounding schools were prepared and called a half-day anticipating what was to come. Many of the last-period teachers were kind enough to let their students out early, but it should not have been their responsibility to sacrifice the lessons and activities they had planned. Even with this concession, it was not enough time to beat the storm.
Another example of this was Monday, Feb. 22, when the school did not call a half-day, and students were once again forced to drive home in snowy conditions. The roads were very slippery and nowhere near safe to drive on. On top of not having an early dismissal, after-school activities were not canceled, giving the roads even more time to become snowy and slick. Much later in the evening, the rain cleared the roads, but most students were expected to drive home during the worst of the conditions earlier in the day.
Many high school students are new drivers, and not everyone has experience driving in the snow. It is important to understand that many students do not live in West Hartford, and some are even 30 or more minutes away! These commutes are made much longer when the snow gets involved, which is not fair to students who live far away.
Now with the growing technology of online school, putting kids at risk while on the commute to school is a problem that can quickly be taken care of. The school has done a great job adapting to the snow after the first couple of storms this year. I’m sure everyone appreciates a good old-fashioned snow day; KO understands that and has given us one this year already. Having online school is safer for students and puts parents at ease. Plus, students are already home so it gives them some time to go outside and enjoy the snow if they don’t have too much work assigned.
Calling a snow day and not having people present on campus allows students to sleep in later and rest for class or gives them time to help their families in the morning with snow removal. Also, the maintenance crew has time to clean the campus and properly clean the parking lot for the next time it is used. Calling a snow day, or even a remote learning day, is safer for all members of the KO community. Moving forward it is essential to closely monitor the weather not just in West Hartford, but in surrounding areas with prominent numbers of KO students to ensure the safety of the community.
