New BCSC superintendent eyeing first snow calls

With winter’s first dusting of snow in the area, new Bartholomew Consolidated Schools superintendent Dr. Jim Roberts is reviewing the procedures for determining when its time to call off classes due to the weather.

Roberts explains that the school district employees will start reviewing road conditions at about 4 a.m. on a snowy day, focusing especially on some of the rural routes. He said that since the first bus routes leave at about 5:45 a.m., the call must be made by 5:15 a.m. at the latest.

“We have a great team,” Roberts said. “With this size of a county, we a number of individuals out checking things early in the morning.”

After that the district then begins working to get the word out to parents, using radio and television, social media, text messaging and other means.

“That gives us a proper amount of time to get the information out so parents can hear it, and know what is going on,” Roberts said. “We have buses rolling out between about a quarter to 6 and six o’clock out of the lot. So even to get all of our drivers, to pull people back, to make those decisions, things have to come together pretty quickly.”

Roberts said the school district has five days during the second week of spring break that can be used as make up days before having to start the online, e-learning program for students at home.