AMARILLO, TEXAS -- Old man winter returned to the Texas Panhandle Sunday night and it came back with a vengeance. While most of the area didn't see much snow, the wind did cause blowing snow leading to some difficult commutes, especially in the outlaying areas. Due to that, many school districts decided to delay or cancel classes all together. However, that was not the case with the Amarillo and Canyon School Districts. Neither district delayed or cancelled classes, it was that topic that became the subject of some debate on the Pronews 7 facebook page.
Many parents were questioning the district's decision not to shut down for the day, so Pronews 7 contacted each district to find out why they decided to hold class. A spokesperson with the Amarillo School District issued this statement to Pronews 7.
"The safety of our students and families is always the first concern when Amarillo ISD must make the difficult decision whether to close school or keep it open during inclement weather. Administrators base the decision on current weather and travel conditions, snow and ice accumulations, and forecasts for the remainder of the day. This morning, after gathering information from the National Weather Service, the City of Amarillo, TxDOT, and other area schools, we made the decision to keep our campuses open---and most students attended school today. However, we also understand and encourage parents to make the best decision for their family on days such as this."
Canyon responded with a similar statement as well, here is that statement in full.
"Canyon ISD administrators take a number of factors into consideration when deciding whether or not to close campuses, including visibility, depth of snow, road conditions, ice and temperature. In addition, staff members travel the roadways at 4 a.m. and consult with the National Weather Service, TxDOT, the City of Amarillo, the City of Canyon, area school districts, Amarillo College and WTAMU via conference call at 5 a.m. The safety of our students and staff members is our priority and we felt, in this case, keeping the district open was the best decision.
Ultimately, we leave it up to the parent to decide if they want their child to attend school during inclement weather. Traditionally, if a parent communicates with the individual campus administration, the tardy or absence will be excused. "
Some campuses will also start late Wednesday morning or will be closed all together. For that list, please click here.
