Several schools across area dismiss students early Monday in preperation for snow
School districts across the area dismissed students early Monday in preparation of a winter storm bringing strong bursts of snow through the afternoon into the evening.
“Our weather in a very short period of time could be very diverse,” said Connellsville Area School District Interim Superintendent Rich Evans.
It’s something the district has to deal with often.
“Our school district is 217 square miles, half of that area being in the mountains,” Evans said. “Geography-wise, we’re in a very unique area”
Because so much of the district is in the mountains, a lot of those students experience more snow than others who live in a lower-elevation part of the district.
“What you’re looking at outside of your window at your house is not necessarily what’s happening in Mill Run or Normalville or Indian Head or any other part of the mountains,” Evans said. “You might be in the city of Connellsville. It could be 35 to 40°, rainy, and you take a ride a mile going up the mountains, and it’s 30° and snowy
This winter storm on Monday also was challenging for the district. The winter storm warning went into effect at 1 p.m., which is right in the middle of the school day.
“This is one of those times where a midday potential start limits how many ways you can deal with it and the bottom line is making sure our kids are getting to and from school safely,” Evans said.
With students home early -- the focus shifts to what Tuesday might look like, but that is still up in the air.
“Best case scenario is that this afternoon and evening the bulk of the snow comes through and there’s time to clean things up and get us ready to have our students back in school tomorrow but we’ll continue to monitor the situation and see what happens,” Evans said.
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