Dallas families went to bed Thursday night anticipating a few extra hours of sleep and a first day back to school in three days.
After days of icy, frozen conditions in North Texas, Dallas ISD schools were set to open on a two-hour delay Friday. But by 5:33 a.m., officials decided to keep schools closed.
The decision was met with criticism and praise. Some parents weren’t planning to send their kids to school anyways, they posted on social media.
Others were upset at the seemingly last-minute decision. Many districts, including Fort Worth, announced on Thursday their plans to remain closed through the week.
Dallas College also announced all campuses would remain closed Friday morning, after initially alerting faculty and staff that they would be open the evening prior.”
“Safety is at the forefront of any decision,” said David Bates, DISD’s chief of operations. “Our superintendent is going to err on the side of caution.”
In years past and even now, the district will send uniformed officers out the night before and early in the morning to check road conditions. Typically, the district makes decisions prior to 6 a.m. in order to notify families and staff that school’s been canceled, Bates said.
When it is a one-off snow day, folks are pretty excited, he added. But prolonged cancellations can leave families frustrated - or worse.
“We don’t like to go without seeing our kids,” Bates said. “We do more than just instruction. We feed our kids, we love on our kids.”
But road conditions and even conditions on some school campuses didn’t make it safe to bring thousands of staff and students back to school Friday.
With more businesses and employers reopening Friday, more drivers were on the road with more reports of black ice.
The National Weather Service warned of “slippery roads and sidewalks due to the re-freezing of flush and melting snow and ice” and the Texas Department of Transportation reported “patchy ice” conditions across the Dallas-Fort Worth area Friday.
Dallas schools Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde hinted at the possibility the district could still close Friday when she posted an update on social media late Thursday.
“I do not want anyone to take unnecessary risks, because safety is our top priority, and if you feel you cannot report to work tomorrow, please use AESOP,” she wrote, referring to the district’s staff absence manager platform, in a post on social media Thursday night. “If conditions are untenable, we will move to school closure.”
— Dr. Stephanie S. Elizalde (@DallasISDSupt) February 3, 2023
The district’s official inclement weather policy promises a decision to open or close schools will be made no later than 6 a.m. on the day in question and communicated to families in a variety of ways, including through automated phone calls, informing local media, and posting on the district’s website and social media platforms.
The superintendent makes the final decision after gathering information from district personnel, according to the policy.
Bates also said power outages, frozen pipes and other conditions can sometimes affect school buildings. The district had enough salt to de-ice school entrances and the sidewalks leading up to the school but not entire campuses and parking lots. Facilities and maintenance teams were deployed Thursday to check on conditions at schools.
The district is anticipating a normal schedule for all staff and students on Monday, Feb. 6.
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