As winter comes to its height, so do the dangerous winter conditions. Westerville City Schools superintendent Angie Hamberg has already called three calamity days and a two hour delay due to winter storm conditions.
On the Westerville City Schools website the exact criteria is written out for determining a calamity day. Hamberg makes the decision based upon these factors as well as recommendations from the transportation manager and others.
It is ultimately up to Hamberg and what she deems dangerous, but the website states there are numerous factors to consider, such as temperature and wind chill (at or below -15 degrees Fahrenheit), and amount of accumulated snow and ice, storm predictions, etc.
WSHS head custodian Keith Allinder stated that he arrives everyday at 3 a.m. to plow and salt all sidewalks when it is snowing outside, and maintenance takes care of clearing the parking lots. Allinder said this kind of weather makes his job a lot harder.
An added difficulty for Allinder is calamity days can be called as late as 5:30 a.m., so he could be at the school clearing sidewalks when classes won’t even occur. Allinder expressed that he and the rest of his crew do their best to keep kids safe coming into school, but that kids must also do their part by driving slowly and cautiously.
“I’m old, and I hate winter,” Allinder said. That last sentiment is shared by others for similar reasons.
Senior Isla Riddle also shared how it can be frustrating when school doesn’t get called off until early in the morning.
“Many parents have to make special arrangements for their kids when they get school called off, and it’s not fair to them to have to decide that in the morning,” Riddle said.
She also commented on how going to school with snowy roads is not safe for the people who live deep in neighborhoods that the snow plows don’t get to. Riddle expressed, “All the main roads can be cleared, but when neighborhoods aren’t, it’s just as dangerous.”
Riddle added that an important tip to avoid accidents is to leave lots of space between your car and any car close to you in case your car starts to slide. She stated,“Sometimes your car can react poorly and there’s nothing you can do to control it, but you can still do everything you can to prevent it.”
Senior Nevaeh Robinson also has tips for drivers in the snow, including driving slowly and never hitting your brakes when it’s icy. Robinson stated, “I have had many incidents with my car sliding, and am just thankful that there were never any cars around me.”
Robinson also shared that in her opinion not every accident on icy roads can be prevented. “You can take every precaution possible, but your car will do what it wants on those kinds of roads,” Robinson said. Her best advice is to “just do your best to stay in the house during times like that.”
English teacher Megan Messner described an incident she experienced on icy roads. “I was driving home from North Carolina and slid on an icy bridge, entirely totaling my car. I am so lucky to be okay,” Messner said.
She included that not all accidents are controllable, but that driving slow should always be a number one priority. “Winter weather is upon us, but with the proper precautions, students can keep themselves and others around them safe while driving out on snowy and icy roads,” Messner said.
