Snow days adding up for Le Mars Community and Gehlen Schools

As of Friday, all five days incorporated into the school year schedule for "snow days" have been used, according to LCS Superintendent Dr. Todd Wendt.

Students will be attending classes May 26, 27, 28, and March 29 and 30.

The March 30 date takes one day away from spring break.

If more days of school are called off due to weather, they will be tacked on to the schedule after Memorial Day, according to Wendt.

Gehlen Catholic follows the same schedule as LCS.

Last Friday morning found Wendt and transportation director Gary Herman driving the country roads to determine if a late start was needed.

"We drove the roads and felt comfortable this morning (Friday) as long as people drive under winter caution," Wendt explained.

The two are usually out sometime between 4:30 and 5 a.m. making a check on road conditions.

"Gary goes west and north of town and I usually go east and south," Wendt said. "That way we can get into different parts of the district."

By 5:30 a.m, the two are meeting at the bus barn to make a decision by 6 a.m.

The two consider whether the plows will have time to clear roads, if the temperature is predicted to warm up or if more snow is forecast.

If it looks like there's a chance to have school, they go with a two-hour late start.

The late start also allows district staff to clear snow from the school grounds.

"There've been times when we called it off right away, but usually with a two-hour late start we're hoping conditions will improve and give us time to clean up," Wendt explained.

The district can count a day of school with very early dismissals, too.

"If the students are here and have attempted instruction, that counts as a school day," Wendt said.

For example, if the students got to school in the morning and classes were dismissed at 10 a.m., that counts as a school day.

The way this winter has been going, Wendt said he expects to see more days off due to weather conditions.

"We look first at the safety of our students," Wendt said. "People have to understand that conditions can be worse in one part of the district over another."

Parents, he added, always have the choice to keep their student home if they feel it is not safe to ride the bus or get the student to school.

Wendt makes the contact with Gehlen principal Jeff Alesch, and also for KLEM radio and Snowcap (an electronic subscriber system for weather-related announcements for schools and businesses), regarding any change in the schedule due to weather.

"We are blessed to use Le Mars Community Schools bussing which provides our students transportation to school," said Lisa Niebuhr, Gehlen's development director. "We follow the same contractual days and make up days as they do."