Our viewers have often wondered how schools make their decisions on school closings especially with cold weather coming.
For Jill Ackerman and Lima City Schools it's all about the wind chill. Ackerman said the district monitors the weather all week and if there is a wind chill advisory, action will surely take place. She mentioned wind chill as the major factor with many students walking over a mile to school, much like the University of Northwestern Ohio students who walk to class. UNOH's process and Lima Schools involve collaboration. Ackerman said she talks with other superintendents about their decisions.
"We'll start texting at 5 a.m," said Ackerman. "They have a lot time situations we don't have in the city and vice versa, but it's always nice to know what everyone's thinking and doing. just gibing each other support because it's hard to get through times like this because you always want to make sure you're making the right decision."
UNOH will consult with their safety services department, the president, as well as the various deans before making a decision.
"I watch a lot of what other schools are doing," Dean Hobler said, VP of Academic Affairs at UNOH. "If Lima city's closing or other schools in the area are closing we take that into consideration, but we draw from an 11 county area. We have to take into consideration a pretty broad path. And again we have students that live on campus, we have to be careful with those too."
Both try to make their decisions as early as possible. If classes are canceled at UNOH they may have some services on campus still open to use.
