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might work well in Rappahannock. For example, two or three days before the Christmas break, school was closed because of road conditions. The roads were only wet, but there was evidently some ice in Chester Gap. Why not schedule school, but with a rider of no bus service to Chester Gap? Why close school entirely when only a small percentage of the school population is experiencing bad road condition?
It was also mentioned that if a “hard surface roads only” policy were enacted children might be left stranded miles from home. What have the other counties who have this policy experienced? Has this been a real problem? Considering this policy has been in place in some counties for quite some time, I highly doubt this has been a major concern. Most parents are resourceful enough to make arrangements to ensure their children are safe. We have managed to find last minute child care when dealing with all the school closings and delays this winter. Having our children dropped off at a different destination would be a minimal problem in comparison. ' I was also dismayed to leam that any policy changes concerning school closings have already been voted down. Wouldn’t it have been more relevant to do a little research into some of the proposed changes? Why not survey the parents to see if having a different bus route on days of inclement weather would be an incon1 venience to their children or themselves? Why not contact neighboring counties who have this policy to verify its effectiveness? Why not postpone having a vote on the matter until some simple inquiries can be made? I suppose it’s much easier to make assumptions on how any policy changes would be ineffective, without doing any actual research.
In closing, I would like to add that no one wants to place the childrens’ safety in jeopardy. We do want them to be safe. But, the saying “Better safe than sorry” has been carried to a ridiculous extreme this winter. I would urge the School Board to invest a little time and effort to research these policy changes before voting again..
HOLLY WELCH
Flint Hill
96.3%