MCPS is currently assessing storm damage

[Anonymous]

All schools with power will be open on time tomorrow. We got a call from my son's school stating that they have power and will open on time. Every school has an automated system and the ones with power should have sent out messages that they will be open.

[Anonymous]

When this happened last year (snow) we got a call at like 5:00 AM that school would be closed. Anyone who doesn't want a 5:00 AM wake up call may want to turn their ringer off now. You never know what time those automated calls will come in.

[Anonymous]

Here is an email I just received regarding the schools that are still without power. All other schools will open on time.

Hurricane Irene Recovery Update Montgomery County Public Schools continues to recover from the effects of Hurricane Irene. All schools with power will open on time on Monday, August 29. As of 8 p.m., 23 schools remain without power. MCPS will monitor the power situation at these schools overnight and make a final decision by 6 a.m. about the opening of these schools. Each school community without power will receive an automated telephone call updating them about the power restoration efforts. The schools without power include:
Benjamin Banneker Middle School
Briggs Chaney Middle School
Broad Acres Elementary School
Burtonsville Elementary School
Emory Grove Center
Fairland Holding Center
Fairland Elementary School
Flower Hill Elementary School
Forest Knolls Elementary School
Galway Elementary School
Glen Haven Elementary School
Greencastle Elementary School
Highland View Elementary School
Francis Scott Key Middle School
Col. Brooke Lee Middle School
Neelsville Middle School
Paint Branch High School
Piney Branch Elementary School
Sargent R. Shriver Elementary School
Takoma Park Elementary School
Takoma Park Middle School
Westland Middle School
Woodlin Elementary School

[Anonymous]

This is idiotic, kids ar stressed and so are the parents, everyone coudl use one day to just regroup and simply know
there is NO School tomorrow.

It is ridiculous keep the suspense. It is also ridiculous to keep some kids sent to school and other not to...

ugh..

[Anonymous]

So it is almost 9pm.. does it mean that even if we did not hear from the school but it is not on the school without power list that
someone posted here, that the classes will happen tomorrow? If so why don't they inform us. Besides why can't they
just let kids relax after such a tough week and weekend? What a traumatic start of school. They do not consider kids
emotions much in MC do they?

[Anonymous]

Totally agree! My little one supposed to start K tomorrow. Now after traumatized two days and last night without power he is supposed to waltz to school tomorrow? Insane!

[Anonymous]

This is so obnoxious. Why couldn't MCPS have posted this kind of a message earlier? My second grader went to bed before they posted the news that most schools will open.... he's very nervous about the first day and is desperately hoping that there would be a postponement. I'm glad his school is open, but I'm really not looking forward to the AM drama when I tell him the news. I'd also booked a baby sitter to help out for part of the day, since I have meetings and I couldn't risk the chance that there would be no news till 5am tomorrow.

This was handled really, really badly. If this is a sign of how the new superintendant operates, it's not very reassuring. DCPS has had specific guidance up on its website for hours, and it's usually way behind MCPS (we check both since our younger child's daycare operates on DCPS schedules.)

[Anonymous]

There is no reason for MoCo schools that have power to be closed tomorrow. Some of you sound totally ridiculous. This was hardly a traumatizing storm, and in fact it's been made pretty clear that the storm was overhyped and that it underperformed. I was out and about today, along with thousands of other people, and didn't see anything that would indicate that kids could not get to school safely. I'm sorry for those that don't have power, but wouldn't it be better for those kids to be at school where there IS power then?

[Anonymous]

I'm one of the PPs who complained, and I'm not upset because the storm was difficult or because of the power losses. I just believe that like every other area school system, MCPS should have made this call earlier in the day. As it is, I imagine it's going to be a very chaotic start to the year, since so many families and staffers may not even be aware of the decision until tomorrow morning. Precisely because it was such a beautiful day with no travel impediments, there's just no reason to wait until this late. Even 5pm would have been reasonable, 9pm is a slap in the face to all of us who have to plan for whatever contingency might arise (and who are used to MCPS cancelling at the slightest snowflake.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Totally agree! My little one supposed to start K tomorrow. Now after traumatized two days and last night without power he is supposed to waltz to school tomorrow? Insane!

You need to calm down. Do you realize you are the one traumatizing him with your drama?

[Anonymous]

For those of you surprised by the late decision MCPS got out, I'm assumng this must be your first experience with having a child in school. I'm used to the late decisions MCPS makes, so it doesn't bother me. It's quite ridiculous for anyone to think all of MCPS should be closed tomorrow because a very minor percentage of schools don't have power. The storm was overhyped and not bad at all here. I have a 6 and 3 year old who both slept right through the rain and wind. I really think it's how parents handle things like this that make the child traumatized. We simply told our kids that if there was any bad weather we would be there to protect them and left it at that. The list of schools that don't have power has been listed and if your child's school is not on the list then it will be open. Is it that hard to comprehend?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For those of you surprised by the late decision MCPS got out, I'm assumng this must be your first experience with having a child in school. I'm used to the late decisions MCPS makes, so it doesn't bother me. It's quite ridiculous for anyone to think all of MCPS should be closed tomorrow because a very minor percentage of schools don't have power. The storm was overhyped and not bad at all here. I have a 6 and 3 year old who both slept right through the rain and wind. I really think it's how parents handle things like this that make the child traumatized. We simply told our kids that if there was any bad weather we would be there to protect them and left it at that. The list of schools that don't have power has been listed and if your child's school is not on the list then it will be open. Is it that hard to comprehend?

Sadly, this is the way MCPS operates. Wait wait then find out at 4am the next morning. It totally sucks. Make a fucking decision before everyone goes to bed.

[Anonymous]

Good thing our school isn't on the list, because I was sending my kids with or without power. It's been that kind of week.

[Anonymous]

I hear you, 22:37.

So it is almost 9pm.. does it mean that even if we did not hear from the school but it is not on the school without power list that
someone posted here, that the classes will happen tomorrow?

Yes. Is MCPS supposed to call you every night to inform you that there will be school tomorrow? It hasn't come to that... yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For those of you surprised by the late decision MCPS got out, I'm assumng this must be your first experience with having a child in school. I'm used to the late decisions MCPS makes, so it doesn't bother me. It's quite ridiculous for anyone to think all of MCPS should be closed tomorrow because a very minor percentage of schools don't have power. The storm was overhyped and not bad at all here. I have a 6 and 3 year old who both slept right through the rain and wind. I really think it's how parents handle things like this that make the child traumatized. We simply told our kids that if there was any bad weather we would be there to protect them and left it at that. The list of schools that don't have power has been listed and if your child's school is not on the list then it will be open. Is it that hard to comprehend?

Sadly, this is the way MCPS operates. Wait wait then find out at 4am the next morning. It totally sucks. Make a fucking decision before everyone goes to bed.

But our school is on the no power list the county sent out around 9:00. Power was restored to the neighborhood at 9:15. I would be pretty pissed if they had decided our school would be closed at 5:00.