Behind The Scenes Of Snow Day Decisions In Michigan Schools

One of the greatest moments as a kid was hearing that snow was on the way and then the next day waking up for school and finding out that school had been cancelled.

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While it's an exciting moment for school kids, parents on the other hand are often forced to scramble and figure out what they're going to do for a babysitter because they still have to head into work.

The decision to cancel school is not an easy one, and this is how it's made in schools all across Michigan.

Michigan Schools Snow Day

Michigan school districts leave snow-day decisions to the superintendent.

But that doesn't mean they don't get a lot of input before making the final call.

Superintendents consider safety factors such as road conditions, bus operations, wind chill, and staffing.

They often will talk with transportation directors, operations/maintenance staff, and county road officials.​

Superintendents also communicate with other nearby superintendents to compare conditions and avoid one district being open while all others around it are closed.​

Superintendents try to decide the night before when possible, but may wait until early morning if the forecast is uncertain or a storm’s timing is tricky.​

Districts often need to consider whether enough teachers and bus drivers can safely get in, especially when many staff live outside the district.​

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