CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Earnest Winston shared a message with student families after officials decided to cancel school for students and teachers last Friday, following Thursday’s inclement weather.
In the letter, Winston says District staff understands the impact of cancelling schools on families but that staff must make the best decision for the entire area encompassed by the school district.
Read the entire letter here:
“Hello, CMS families. I want to share with you more about our decision to close schools last Friday.
District staff understands that the decision to close schools in severe weather has a significant impact on families. We also recognize that our students are better served by being in school – not just from an academic standpoint but because for many of our students school is the only place they are guaranteed to receive two meals a day. But, as always, our top priority is the safety of our students and staff. Our decision is informed by a number of factors including building conditions (whether we have electricity and heat), temperature and wind chill, accumulation of snow and/or ice, road conditions and how these conditions are forecast to develop over the course of the day. Keep in mind that even if one person’s neighborhood looks clear, travel elsewhere in the district may be dangerous. We have to be mindful of this as buses serve multiple school communities and staff may be traveling from or across areas that may be significantly impacted.
Among the factors carefully considered in Friday’s decision were the impacts of continued strong winds and road conditions across the county that created unsafe driving for school buses and students getting to schools. Information reviewed at the time of the decision indicated a high likelihood of additional schools losing partial or complete power due to strong winds. Several of our schools also experienced flooding and other conditions that would have made teaching and learning a challenge.
We also made a decision to cancel after school and evening activities at all CMS schools. As far as cancelling such events, it’s been a common practice in the district to not have practices and games, as well as school events and after-school activities, when schools are closed.
I hope this context helps you better understand the process we use to make the best possible decision for our entire district. These decisions are never easy – but we must ensure that our students, staff and families are safe across the 564 square miles that CMS serves.”
Thank you,
Earnest Winston
Superintendent
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
