Winter's icy grip has tightened around the metro-east region, forcing schools to make tough decisions. Early dismissals and canceled activities are becoming the norm as snow continues to blanket the area. But here's where it gets tricky: while the National Weather Service predicts less snow than Saturday's storm, below-freezing temperatures could turn even a light dusting into a hazardous situation. This raises the question: are these precautions necessary, or are we becoming too quick to disrupt routines at the first sign of snow?
The National Weather Service St. Louis has issued a winter weather advisory until noon Tuesday, warning of potentially dangerous travel conditions due to rapidly accumulating snow on already frozen surfaces. You can find more details on their website: https://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lat=38.512629&lon=-89.984229. Their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1300676855432473&set=a.229077622592407) further emphasizes the potential for slippery roads and sidewalks.
And this is the part most people miss: it's not just about the amount of snow, but the temperature and how quickly it can create icy conditions.
Several metro-east schools have adjusted their schedules in response. Here's a breakdown of the changes, which we'll update throughout the day:
Early Dismissals:
Edwardsville: A staggered dismissal saw high schoolers leaving at 12:30 pm, middle schoolers at 1:30 pm, and elementary students at 2:30 pm. Afternoon preschool and KidZone were also canceled, as announced on their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ECUSD7/posts/pfbid0VKecw3v1cMNcqBEsv2LYmnyqrB8h6EsE1aH25hJBNjNFoz4NS9eBsWNKHgEmQ2XTl.
East Alton-Wood River: Students were dismissed at 1 pm, with all after-school activities and practices canceled.
Althoff Catholic (Belleville): Dismissal occurred at 1:15 pm. Check their Facebook page for updates: https://www.facebook.com/AlthoffCatholic.
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Roxana (Grades K-5): Dismissed at 2 pm.
Wood River-Hartford: Students were dismissed at 1 pm.
After-School Activities Canceled:
High Mount School District 116
Harmony-Emge School District 175: Latchkey will close at 4:30 pm. See their Facebook post for details: https://www.facebook.com/100049181935859/posts/1491066729209377/.
Lebanon Community Unit School District 9
Granite City School District 9: https://www.facebook.com/100063967393909/posts/1306889108119990/
East St. Louis School District 189: Athletes should check with coaches for practice updates. https://www.facebook.com/100063788310674/posts/1389169439885987/
Collinsville Community Unit School District 10: https://www.facebook.com/100063451758360/posts/1417403010384744/
Signal Hill School District 181: Today's PTO meeting is also canceled. https://www.facebook.com/100063736052581/posts/1464523315682190/
Central Junior High (Belleville): https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0cZLscfioVnTFAiV4ZoPU9L2p4wu77pwaaK86chyXRsAUPEFfjbUUaGRbfcjuQ9g6l&id=100063855391084
Grant Community Consolidated School District 110: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0cZLscfioVnTFAiV4ZoPU9L2p4wu77pwaaK86chyXRsAUPEFfjbUUaGRbfcjuQ9g6l&id=100063855391084
Cahokia Unit School District 187: https://www.facebook.com/100064013074240/posts/1295966709213753/
Brooklyn Unit School District 188
Central School District 104 (O'Fallon): https://www.facebook.com/100063566261741/posts/1428030359325826/
Millstadt Consolidated Community School District 160: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0JGocdo8VwMur2o6b47hKcic4rCeWzdK6Mdyf3gMH6uFbXeY7EMTsszBg8FPtzcurl&id=100063591398358
Alton Community Unit School District 11
Madison Community Unit School District 12: Bernard Long Elementary's after-school program is canceled.
Mascoutah School District 19
Shiloh Village School District 85: Evening activities for middle schoolers are canceled.
O'Fallon Township High School District 203
What do you think? Are these school closures a necessary precaution, or an overreaction to winter weather? Let us know in the comments below!
