Although Allen County endured minimal snowfall last weekend, Iola schools remained closed Monday. The decision to give students an extra day of winter break came down to safety. HUMBOLDT and Moran schools lucked out from having to make the decision to close schools. The two had already be scheduled to be closed due to inservice for teachers.
“We closed because of the bitter wind chill and we were concerned about the wind chill in the evening hours,” said Jack Koehn, superintendent of schools.
Sunday night temperatures dipped into the low teens with a wind chill of -7 degrees. With temperatures that low, Koehn was concerned with the well-being of Iola students.
Koehn said many factors came into play when making the decision to close the schools. Bus drivers must be able travel safely not only in town but also to students located on country roads. Student drivers also are considered in this traveling decision.
“We were aware that most of the roads were probably cleared off but we were concerned of snow drifts reforming overnight,” Koehn said.
Koehn said the major factor came down to students’ safety in the subzero weather.
“A lot of our students walk to school and we didn’t want them out in those conditions,” he said.
The district has three-and-a-half snow days built into the school calendar. Administrators always hope the district doesn’t go over the built-in days because it causes scheduling conflicts later in the school year.
“It’s always a tough decision for superintendents to make, but we try to make the best decision that is in the best interest for our students,” Koehn said.
Schools close Monday
