Dead presidents to County: How dare you open!

A giant swath of snow hangs off the roof of Sutherland Middle School February 13, two days before students returned after a nearly two-week, snow-induced hiatus.
PHOTO BY HAWES SPENCER

"Buses are currently arriving at our elementary schools, and will run their middle and high school routes as they arrive at those schools." So says Albemarle County Schools spokesperson Maury Brown shortly after 2pm Monday, February 15, in an automated message to parents on the day that was originally scheduled as a student holiday to honor George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, but put back in play after over two weeks of weather-related cancellations.

Brown also said on her message that after-school programs were canceled but that the extended-day enrichment program will run until 6pm and that the budget public hearing would go on that night as planned. Ironically, the bulk of the snowfall ceased around the time the young ones were extricated from the halls of learning.

Albemarle students got zero schooling last week, and the prior week they got just four hours (on a delayed-start Thursday). Before that, they lost time for a non-snow and then for a flood.

Superintendent Pam Moran reveals her "I always will err on the side of caution" thinking on the open v. close conundrum on her blog, and the actual voice of closure, Albemarle transportation chief Josh Davis, tells all to the Daily Progress on a rural road trip taken on Valentine's Day.

As for Charlottesville City Schools, future make-up days include teacher workdays Friday, March 12; Friday, April 2; plus Friday June 11. Albemarle has all those and more–- all the way to June 17, and there are still two missing days that may need to be dealt with, says County spokesperson Brown.

Interestingly, one of these two days stems, she says, not from snow but from the Republican primary to pick the man to challenge incumbent Congressman Tom Perriello. As schools shut down on June 8 to become polling places (and tensions flare over delayed vacations), Republicans may question the wisdom of that endeavor.

–last updated 1:26pm, Tuesday, February 16