MCPS delayed Thursday?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MCPS will close for the rest of the week. Cold alert just issued. Enjoy your vacation!!

I came to post this.

I’m a teacher and ready to go back. No kids at home to escape, just eager to wrap up MP2 and concerned about my students who have shaky home lives. That isn’t limited to poor kids either. Some economically privileged children are dealing with extremely stressed parents.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fyi.. DC public schools were open on time today..

They don’t have to deal with buses. I wish we could reopen as quickly as DCPS, but every year MCPS is closed significantly longer.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I think streets have been plowed but if this isn't done in time they get icy. Our HOA had plows come several times on Monday and Tuesday and now our street is clean and dry. But the residential streets nearby are icy, though we've seen plows on them.

I wonder if anyone has ever examined the economic impact of multi-day school closures. A lot of parents aren't working because of this. Looking at that might make it worth it to invest more in snow storm response. Maybe it means more plows (does the county needs to own the plows or can they hire some as the HOAs do?). Maybe it means having a plan for buses in the snow (identifying alternate stops if one is too icy). Lots of people have been commuting to work yesterday and today. The roads are not impassable.

Main roads are in good shape for commuters. Residential side streets, not so much! You have hit the nail on the head with regard to good snow removal - it requires multiple passes to get the streets dry so there's not a pile of slush in the middle of the street to freeze (and freeze into weird ruts, I may add!) Northern urban areas also have city-owned sidewalk plows, not a thing here.

Commuters have to get out of their neighborhoods to get on the main road. They can do that just fine. We have been driving on our snowy, icy residential streets in our fwd subcompact since Monday. It's slow going, but totally doable.

What about people who live on snowy icy roads but don’t have fwd?

They need to have a backup plan- e.g., leave their car somehwere else where they can get out. Isn't that what y'all are always telling everyone in regards to childcare and snow days, that they need to plan better? Or if that's not possible, get a better car next time.

Folks, you don't need 4 wheel drive to drive in the snow. You do need common sense.

And you’re asking for that on DCUM?!?!?!

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Can anyone tell me what will be different tomorrow from today? There won’t be much melting today.

I’m not arguing for schools to be closed, I’m wondering why they are not open today.

The county didn’t finish plowing roads until yesterday evening, and according to the snow page, there was a lot of drift in Poolesville and Damascus.

Which means the roads were plowed today. And every school I went by yesterday had parking lots and sidewalks already cleared.

They could have opened today. They could have opened *on time* today, but at least could have opened with a delay if they wanted a chance to clean things up. And certainly there is no excuse for closing child care programs.

Unless you checked all 200 schools, your observation is limited.

Show a picture of your unplowed school then.

Your delusions of self-importance are noted and mocked.

Completely agree. What planet do you live on? Sounds like Utopia. But here on Earth, there are reasons we don't force parents into driving on unplowed roads, we don't force children into standing at bus stops with wind chills in the teens (or lower) on streets that are not plowed, and we can't make busses drive down neighborhood streets where there are no driveways and cars are parked along both sides of the street and piles of snow makes it impossible for a bus to get through even if we wanted it to. Someday maybe we can all live wherever you do, but you'll probably complain about some "element" we bring in with us (like, common sense).

Buses don't run on tracks. Routes can be adjusted.

That's a very uninformed response. Congratulations. Do you have any idea how a school bus system works? It's not a one bus, one driver, one route, one school thing. They all drive multiple routes on a rolling time schedule. They start with the high schools, then middle, then ES. Someone would have to know what each street condition is, and how to change the route (if possible), and then which bus stops have to be changed, and then communicate this to families in time for that to take effect. Unless you suggest that they just bypass some of the kids who are standing out in the cold. But thanks for your observation that buses don't run on tracks!

[Anonymous]

If mcps not opened tomorrow, please at least let the onsite childcare facility to open. My kids are crazy and I barely can't work. I will take delay opening.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The roads in my Bethesda neighborhood were covered in ice this morning. I think it was the correct call to close. I expect a delay or closure tomorrow. Temps will still be below freezing.

The question to ask is why is your UMC neighborhood in Bethesda, with its million + dollar houses, still covered in ice? How, in 2025 America, is this still possible when so many other roads are jus fine?

The real reason is the strong aversion to using the amount of salt needed. We already have people posting to our neighborhood listserve to minimize salt use for environmental reasons. Well, lots of salt is the way to thaw streets and not have them re-ice. Not brining once as snow comes in. I'm talking heavy duty salt trucks spewing salt as they plow, each time the plow goes by. This is how northern states cope. -former Midwesterner

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If mcps not opened tomorrow, please at least let the onsite childcare facility to open. My kids are crazy and I barely can't work. I will take delay opening.

FWIW, I believe schools will be open tomorrow on a delay and indoor recess for extremely low temperature

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Tailor talked a big game but he's just as ineffective as the others. 2 hours delay or closed.

Wait...what? You mean last year wasn't Monifa's fault?

The late calls were absolutely her fault. This year has been much better as at least people have a few hours to put plans in place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I expect to report on time tomorrow.
—MCPS teacher

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MCPS can't fix this. The solution is to get back to the same era when a family had 2 parents and not full time worker. A society where children can't be in their own homes for a few days per year is a broken society.

You’re talking about an era that didn’t exist for all economic brackets.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If mcps not opened tomorrow, please at least let the onsite childcare facility to open. My kids are crazy and I barely can't work. I will take delay opening.

FWIW, I believe schools will be open tomorrow on a delay and indoor recess for extremely low temperature

There isn’t recess if there is a delay or an early dismissal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:If mcps not opened tomorrow, please at least let the onsite childcare facility to open. My kids are crazy and I barely can't work. I will take delay opening.

FWIW, I believe schools will be open tomorrow on a delay and indoor recess for extremely low temperature

There isn’t recess if there is a delay or an early dismissal.

Delay or open with indoor recess

[Anonymous]

I went out for the first time this morning and was surprised by how bad my neighborhood looked and that was after a plow/salt truck had been through again just morning. The major roads were fine. I can see why today was a closure and won't be surprised if tomorrow is as well.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Can anyone tell me what will be different tomorrow from today? There won’t be much melting today.

I’m not arguing for schools to be closed, I’m wondering why they are not open today.

The county didn’t finish plowing roads until yesterday evening, and according to the snow page, there was a lot of drift in Poolesville and Damascus.

Which means the roads were plowed today. And every school I went by yesterday had parking lots and sidewalks already cleared.

They could have opened today. They could have opened *on time* today, but at least could have opened with a delay if they wanted a chance to clean things up. And certainly there is no excuse for closing child care programs.

Unless you checked all 200 schools, your observation is limited.

Show a picture of your unplowed school then.

Your delusions of self-importance are noted and mocked.

Completely agree. What planet do you live on? Sounds like Utopia. But here on Earth, there are reasons we don't force parents into driving on unplowed roads, we don't force children into standing at bus stops with wind chills in the teens (or lower) on streets that are not plowed, and we can't make busses drive down neighborhood streets where there are no driveways and cars are parked along both sides of the street and piles of snow makes it impossible for a bus to get through even if we wanted it to. Someday maybe we can all live wherever you do, but you'll probably complain about some "element" we bring in with us (like, common sense).

You can't possibly believe these are true. How would kids in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, and New York ever go to school if this was true? Heck, they'll send kids outside for recess with wind chills in the teens. Here's a policy "if the outside air temperature is less than 0 degrees Fahrenheit or the wind chill is -10 degrees or below, students will have recess indoors."

It's incredible how some people in this county view relatively mild winters.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:To the poster who said on the other thread about DC public schools being open, mcps is much larger than DCPS.

DC Public Schools is also a city school system with no county buses aka no lawsuit concerns. I live here in the city and work for MCPS. Residents are used to returning to work with uncleared sidewalks and schools. There were so many people walking on Wisconsin Ave this morning because the sidewalks by the metro stop hadn't been cleared! The mayor just opens when she wants and everyone is used to adjusting.