Vigo schools prepare for inclement weather

Nov. 23—As the Vigo County School Corp. prepares for adverse winter weather conditions, it has issued guidelines to let parents know how decisions are made on whether to conduct, cancel or delay classes.

A download of the those detailed guidelines is available with this story on the Trib-Star's web page, www.tribstar.com. They are also available from the school district at web. vigoschools.org/legal-notices/.

The district's goal is to be more transparent and have detailed information readily available to families.

This year, VCSC is limited to two eLearning days for inclement weather.

If the Vigo County School Corp. must cancel in-person classes more than two days this year due to bad weather, those additional days will have to be made up in person at the end of the school year, said Tom Balitewicz, assistant superintendent for student services.

A state law passed in 2022 limits schools to three days of asynchronous eLearning instruction — days when over half of instructional time is virtual and self-paced.

The Vigo County School Corp. is using one of those days for the total solar eclipse on April 8, Balitewicz said.

So anything beyond two days of weather- related school closings must be made up.

Making the decision

The district also wants to reinforce that decisions about whether school will be in session, delayed or closed is based on whether VCSC buses can safely transport students, Balitewicz said.

The decision on whether it is safe enough for teenagers to drive is a family decision, he said.

If parents believe the roads are not safe for a high school student to be driving, "That is a parental decision," Balitewicz said. "We'll respect their decision."

A parent would have to call the school and it would be considered an excused absence.

Balitewicz also described how the district makes a decision about whether to have classes, cancel classes or schedule a delay.

Around 4:30 a.m., buses in different areas of the county go out, as do central office administrators, to check road conditions. A recommendation then goes to the superintendent.

A major snowfall or weather event the evening before can expedite those decisions.

But when decisions must be made early in the morning, the district prefers to make a decision by 5:45 a.m., at the latest, to let parents know, Balitewicz said.

"We have buses go out at 6 a.m. and once buses go out, it's harder to pull that back in once they are on the road," Balitewicz said.

Families are informed through a variety of methods, including the district's social media accounts.

Parents and guardians should update contact information as notifications will be sent via email and/or phone through Skyward.

News of delays and closings also will be shared with local media and on the vigoschools.org website.

Winter outlook

Jesse Walker, WTWO chief meteorologist, is predicting it "will not be a terrible winter, but there will be some shots here and there and probably the worst part will be in the second half," or mid-January through the end of February.

This winter, weather is being impacted by an El Nino, which involves warm water in the Pacific Ocean near the equator and it has recently gotten stronger, he said.

"It will probably stay pretty strong but weaken toward the second half of winter," he said. "Generally, El Nino for us means dryer than normal and warmer than normal."

Walker said he believes precipitation will be below normal, including snowfall, and temperatures will be slightly above normal.

In looking at comparable years, "I think there is an increased chance of ice even thought the snowfall I think will be low. So that could be a problem," Walker said.

The El Nino is expected to weaken in the second half, which tends to mean more wintry weather.

Sue Loughlin can be reached at 812-231-4235 or at sue.loughlin@tribstar.com Follow Sue on Twitter @TribStarSue