Public schools in Downers Grove and Glen Ellyn were open on Tuesday despite the snow, although some nearby towns like Wheaton, Lisle and Naperville closed their public schools. All Glenbard high schools also had an early dismissal, and most area schools cancelled their after-school activities.
Some private schools in the area—who often bring students from further away—were also closed, like the Avery Coonley School.
Patch reached out to our readers on Facebook to find out whether or not they thought keeping schools open was a good idea:
Yes, it was good to keep schools open:
“Reading all the Facebook posts from family and friends in Bourbonnais, Mokena, Plainfield, Kankakee, Bradley, kids all off school… so, moms are taking them sledding, to the mall, to the movies, another one is going cross-country skiing… ok, if they can do all that stuff, why can't they go to school? Drove from Good Sam area to 75th Street - road sloppy, but NO trouble.”
– Karen Sherman Bushy, Downers Grove Patch Facebook.
“I'm fine with it. We won't have to add a day in June.”
– Lori Tabor Carlson, Glen Ellyn Patch Facebook.
“I think it's perfect. Shortened day, so no makeup. The snow won't be really deep until later in the afternoon.”
– Kim Peters Lutz, Glen Ellyn Patch Facebook.
“I think 58/99 made the right call. There is MAYBE 3" of snow out there and the kids get out in an hour. It's not that bad! I ran to Target to get milk and the roads were fine. I'd rather my kids be off in the summer when we can enjoy the day. Plus, a lot of parents still have to work. It can be really disruptive if your kids are suddenly off school for a couple inches of snow, but you are still expected at the office. I thought it was ridiculous that schools were cancelling last night before a single snowflake had fallen!”
– April Nowobielski Marron, Downers Grove Patch Facebook.
“They made a good call. As Kari Cremascoli said in her email, parents always have the option to keep their kids home. For those of us who can manage driving in six inches of snow, this doesn't bother me at all.”
– Russ Foster, Downers Grove Patch Facebook.
“ I think it was the right call. I grew up in this area and we had school with active snows worse then this! We live in an area where snow is an issue this time of year. I think people have just gotten spoiled over the no snow for so long and panic set in. Glad 58/99 had school. It was the right call to make! Besides... Main roads I have been on in DG are actually pretty decent! Good work Village of DG!”
– Stacey Greenwood Poulter, Downers Grove Patch Facebook.
“I am actually shocked by all the closings. There was only a dusting of snow @ 7:30am. This is winter in the Midwest… why does everyone treat these lil’ snowfalls like some horrific blizzard? I’ve been out on the roads and they are being maintained great. No reason to close schools.”
– Susan Showalter Rees, Downers Grove Patch Facebook.
“I think it's great! A.) the last few "snow storms" haven't been as bad as they said, B.) schools these days seem to be BEGGING to have a snow day or two....even 20 years ago I don't even remember having one!, and C.) this shows kids that sometimes things in life don't go as planned, but you've still gotta do what you've gotta do to make it through.”
– Julie Farrell, Glen Ellyn Patch Facebook.
No, they should have closed schools:
“They will regret it in a few hours. What a nightmare. I took the day off because I couldn't bear the thought of driving home at 5.”
– Rachel Pote, Downers Grove Patch Facebook
“There is nothing better than a snow day! One every 3-4 years is perfect. It is one of life's fun surprises. I think 4-6 inches calls for it. I don't want to drive in it and I don't want my kids on the bus in it. But seems like I am in the minority.”
– Mallory Archer Samson, Glen Ellyn Patch Facebook.
“Sometimes schools just need to think ahead for the late afternoon and not just how is the morning. Plus everyone around them cancelled.”
– Eddie Komrska, Downers Grove Patch Facebook.
Other observations:
“@Karen, good point, but school buses don't drop the kids off for another couple hours, it will be much worse by then. Maybe just a half day was in order.”
– Dani Fish, Downers Grove Patch Facebook
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Jim Burket
11:43 pm on Tuesday, March 5, 2013
When did we become such . . . . victims? I hate to roll back the Old Man Machine, but I will. Let's set the dial to 1979 and have a looksee at what I went through my senior year in high school. Snow was piled up on corners so high that people affixed flags on poles to the front on their car bumper so they could be seen. There was so much snow that it was silly. Yet off to school we went. Nary a day off, IIRC. We get, what, 6-8 inches of snow . . . with next to zero on the ground as school started in Glen Ellyn, and parents were complaining? We are raising kids that we won't allow to travel by themselves three blocks on bike to their friends house. We whine about having to put up a little effort to get our kids to and fro during a snow event . . . then call it a "nightmare." What has become of us in 30 short years? And what are we raising?
Susan Carroll
9:25 am on Wednesday, March 6, 2013
I don't disagree with your main point, Mr. Burket. But we DID get days off in 1979. In fact, my dad couldn't even get to work and I remember him pulling me on a sled to the grocery store to buy milk. But that snow fell so quickly and so thickly that plows couldn't keep up; that was not the case with yesterday's snowfall. The roads were perfectly usable, and "fun" is no reason to close schools, especially after the kids just had a four-day weekend.
Kent Frederick
10:24 am on Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Driving yesterday afternoon was scary. At several stop signs, my anti-lock brakes kept "chattering", and then I had trouble getting started, with the traction control kicking in repeatedly.
And that was on a street that was plowed.
I grew up in school districts in which snow days required 18 inches of snow. The joke was that if the superintendant could get to the high school, school opened. He only lived 3 blocks from the school.
Driving, yesterday, was bad, especially on streets that weren't being plowed regularly. The buses at my son's school were having problems, and the streets had probably been plowed a couple of hours before school let out.
If the snow had started Monday afternoon and went until early Tuesday morning, I would have been fine with schools opening.
I understand that the kids just had a 4-day weekend, and ISAT testing started yesterday. But driving yesterday afternoon was rough. If you can keep people off the road, it just makes plowing that much easier.
Not to mention that I saw some teenagers driving home from DGS who still haven't learned that unplowed roads mean driving very slowly, and not just under the speed limit.
Nicholas
3:28 pm on Wednesday, March 6, 2013
When I was a kid I used to walk to school from 3rd grade at Pierce Downer til my senior year at North. We had a few snow days, I remember a big one back in 1999, and maybe one or two more for the other schools. I agree that kids should be walking more (tho I enjoyed a ride when I could get one!). That being said, Jim I agree with your points which apparently makes it strange for me since I am only 24..... But also a good point would be that most school districts have a certain amount of days planned for such occasions and are just added to the end of the year anyhow, so in reality a snow day here or there does nothing to make the education system fall short.
Nancy P
5:37 pm on Wednesday, March 6, 2013
The plows had been out regularly. I came home from work at about 3:30 with no problems. I hear about other people who had the snow day, and they were out running their errands instead. So much depends on timing and intensity of the snow.
Old One
5:52 pm on Wednesday, March 6, 2013
I was surprised to hear all the closings announced before 9 AM, but by closing time it made more sense. Students attending those that didn't close had to walk through somewhat deep snow, and the parents who came to pick them up had to drive on slippery roads. But then I remember when I was in grade school (1942-51) there were no school buses in my nice suburban district, and even though the majority of moms worked in the home, very few of the kids got rides to school... well, let's face it, gas was rationed then). I don't remember any snow days, and I know we went out to play in the snow frequently at recess........ and unless we lived at least 8 blocks away we couldn't even bring our lunch.. we had to go home for lunch. ... Anyway, the kids around our house here had fun.. some really neat snow forts out back, and some fun snow ball fights...... aahhh youth!