The decision to delay or close school because of weather is based on many factors.
While students and parents wait for calls, texts or twitter on school status, school officials are
calculating those factors. In an effort to explain the decision-making process, Bowling Green
Superintendent Ann McVey provided the following information.
What is taken into consideration?
Transportation director for BG schools, Carlton Schooley, monitors forecasts and begins conversations
with transportation directors from neighboring districts, while McVey begins conversations with area
superintendents.
However, the decision cannot be made on forecasts alone.
If the forecasted weather is imminent, Schooley and McVey go out and drive the roads in order to assess
the road conditions first-hand. The large geographic area of the BG district often results in very
diverse road conditions.
This is followed by discussion between Schooley and McVey, along with area school district transportation
directors and superintendents.
The final decision is not an exact science; however, the safety of all 3,000 students is always the top
factor. The following are always considered:
• Road conditions in various areas of the district
• Conditions of roads where buses stop and start frequently
• Conditions of areas where students walk (either to school or to the bus)
• Students who drive to school
• Level of Snow Emergency (1, 2 or 3)
Delays and closings are made as soon as possible, including the night/day before, to assist families in
making arrangements for their children to be out of school.
What’s the purpose of a delay?
The weather in Northwest Ohio can change very quickly. This is one of the reasons that there are times
when the district operates under a delay instead of closing school. For example, it can be very foggy at
6 a.m. and bright and sunny by 10a.m. In the case of freezing rain, a delay may allow temperatures to
warm up enough that the precipitation becomes all rain. Also, a delay allows for daylight, which is very
helpful, especially on the outlying roads that are narrow with deep ditches on both sides.
Why do some districts delay or close and others don’t?
Each district is different. Some districts transport almost all students on buses. Others have more
students who walk. Some districts are very rural while others are more suburban. Bowling Green is unique
in that the district has large numbers of students who ride buses as well as large numbers who walk.
Following are the geographic sizes of the following districts (in square miles) as reported by the Ohio
Department of Education:
• Northwood – 8
• Fostoria – 22
• Rossford – 26
• Perrysburg – 28
• Lake – 37
• North Baltimore – 37
• Otsego – 102
• Eastwood – 105 • Elmwood – 112
• Bowling Green – 118
Bowling Green is the 98th largest district, in square miles, of the 615 districts in the Ohio.
Other facts about BG school transportation
• 20 buses transport students on a daily basis
• 2-3 additional buses transport students on field trips and athletic events
• 2,067 students qualify for transportation
• 1,410 students ride the buses on a regular basis
• 350 students drive to school
• 1,700 miles are travelled per day for regular routing
• 34,000 miles per month for regular routing
• 7,000-10,000 miles per month for field trips and athletic events
• 5:40 a.m. – the first bus leaves the bus garage for morning pickup
• 6 a.m. – the first student boards the bus