Thursday, Jan. 12 2012 6:14PM
‘Black ice’ cited in snow-day decision
By Rob Roberts, rroberts@lsjournal.com
Julie Scheidegger, the Journal
Despite only accruing a half-inch of snow Wednesday night, sidewalks were left slick and icy. Custodian Robert McFall throws salt over a sidewalk at a quiet Lee's Summit High School Thursday as classes were cancelled due to road conditions that morning. Sports and activities in the R-7 District did continue as scheduled Thursday night.
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closeLee’s Summit woke up to a half-inch of snow Jan. 12. But the decision to close local schools had more to do with what was under the snow.
Janice Phelan, a spokeswoman for the Lee’s Summit R-7 School District, said district transportation officials drove throughout the district early on Jan. 12 and reported black ice in both the east and west areas of the district.
The district covers 117 square miles, including Lee’s Summit, Greenwood, Lake Lotawana, Lake Winnebago and unincorporated areas of Jackson County – an area that includes both city and rural roads.
“The condition of the roads, especially those in the outlying areas, combined with the 7 degree wind chill resulted in the decision to cancel school,” Phelan said.
Phelan said the decision to close schools was made by Linda Thompson, district transportation director; Tom Kurucz, a deputy superintendent whose oversight responsibilities include transportation; and Superintendent David McGehee. R-7 and the Lakeland R-III School District were the only two area districts to close schools.
The snow day, the first in the R-7 district this school year, means that the last day of school in the district will be pushed back a day to May 18.
During the last school year, the district used a total of 10 snow days, including three (on Jan. 11, 12 and 13) by this time in 2011.
Jan. 31, 2011, was not a snow day in the R-7 district, and on that day, wintry conditions contributed to an accident involving an R-7 school bus.
The bus, carrying about 30 students home from Bernard Campbell Middle School, was traveling north on Cedar Creek Lane when its right-side tires slid off the roadway, causing the bus to roll on its side.
Several minor injuries, including scrapes and bruises, were reported at the scene, and one child was transported by ambulance from the scene for neck and back pain.
Phelan said she could not say whether the 2011 accident had anything to do with this week’s decision to close schools, and other district officials were not immediately available.
McGehee, however, did respond by email at 9:12 a.m. Jan. 12 to a patron who questioned the decision to close schools in an email to R-7 school board members and administrators.
The patron, Arthur Louis Odom, wrote “student safety is always a number one concern.” But he asked, “Where do you draw the line? Why did Lee’s Summit close schools today? What information was used to make the decision?”
McGehee, who was scheduled for a vacation day Jan. 12, responded that the district has “never had a day of inclement weather during which the decision isn’t questioned, no matter which way the decision falls.”
The superintendent added in the email that the icy conditions that district officials noted across the district were affirmed by patrons trying to get to work in the area.
