In Montgomery County, it’s not hard to tell that our superintendent and those who decide on snow days and snow delays are pretty stingy with giving us a break. The real question is: Why are they so stingy with calling a snow day?

As a student, I can honestly say that walking to my bus stop is one of the most rigorous parts of my day.  Before you tell me to go out and get more exercise, you must realize that I live about a mile from my bus stop, and walking that far with all of my school stuff at 6:45 in the morning is quite the challenge.  Dealing with snow — even a “dusting” — can make my walk seem an eternity, and don’t get me started on black ice.   Any driver making his/her way out of the neighborhood can see that kids rush to reach the bus on time and end up running to the bus stop in bad weather, which can be dangerous.

Dr. Starr and those who make the snow decisions need to see what it is like to walk to the bus with ice on the ground, in the dark and cold of January and February. They need to know just how this decision affects the kids.

The upside of the matter is that Montgomery County can cancel up to 5 days of school, so they should feel comfortable making the call. Of course, after these 5 days are used, the county adds days to the end of school year, but ultimately it’s worth it to keep kids safe. These decision-makers have to be very cautious as to what days we take off, which can be a pretty arduous task, especially when you consider that Superintendent Starr has kids himself. In the end, it is safe to say that these problems only last for two or three months until we enter spring, when snow days will be the least of our problems.