FOX19.com and FOX19 News, weather, traffic, and sports for Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky | Northern Kentucky parents question school closures

Northern Kentucky parents question school closures

By Kimberly Holmes – bio | email

ALEXANDRIA, KY (FOX19)  - Two of Northern Kentucky's largest school districts, Kenton and Campbell, closed school for the day. Others such as Boone County Schools delayed school, but dry roads throughout both counties left many parents and students wondering why.

Snow days mean busy days at Skidaddles Daycare in Florence. Staff watch kids from 12 months old to 12 years old. Drop-ins are welcome. That's good news for moms like Rachel Hill.

"We live out in a rural area so the roads are really bad," Hill said. "For me, yes, I was late to work today. A half an hour."

Hill's first grader Nick, 6, was off from school on Tuesday because of snow. Hill said before she found this center, snow days meant sick days.

"Staying home and missing work or having to use vacation time or sick time," Hill said.

Becki Cordrey runs Skidaddles.

"We had about seven new drop-in kids today that came," Cordrey said. "Mom and dad were shuffling for care so they called and we let them come on in."

Kenton and Campbell County School District leaders closed school on Tuesday because of snow, but by late afternoon most of it had melted. Still, Campbell County Superintendent Anthony Strong said he made the right move.

"With a county as large as ours, it's quite possible that the northern part of the county which has larger roads more traffic," Strong said. "The roads could be much more passable than in the southern part of the county which is very very rural."

Strong said he woke up at 4:30 on Tuesday morning to check the radar online and consult district transportation leaders. He said he considered a delay, but the weather and roads are too unpredictable and there's only one thing you can count on: being safe, rather than sorry.

"Our state testing in Kentucky currently is pre-set so we try to get in as many days as we can prior to instruction, but safety is our number one priority with out students," Strong said.

Strong said he understands that teachers, parents and kids pay the price for these snow days by making them up later. So far, the district has used four of its eight snow days.

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