LEMAY, Mo. — When you think about schools in St. Louis County, the Hancock Place School District probably isn't the first that comes to mind.
But the superintendent there leads county schools as they discuss whether to call off class, and he said the timing of that decision is always a balancing act.
Canceling school is news that normally has students jumping for joy, but for most parents like Jennifer Bizelli, snow days are a different story.
"I normally watch it and then if it gets like it's looking bad, hopefully it's called off earlier, that way my 13-year-old isn't bugging me about when her school is going to get canceled," she said.
But decisions to ditch school for the day require a lot of thought and preparation from superintendents.
"Our conversation will be, 'Do we need to make a call tonight? Do we know enough information this evening to where we can start making those decisions?' or, 'Do we want to wait until 4 a.m.?'" said Hancock Superintendent Kevin Carl.
Those questions are especially tough for Carl, as he's the point person for school closings in all of St. Louis County.
On days like Tuesday, Carl can be found driving the roads checking current conditions and trying to predict what's to come.
"It's 40 degrees on my car right now, so that tells you the roads aren't going to be slick, but it's all about that changeover of when they expect it to get to 32 degrees or below," he explained.
It's a lot of work for school administrators as parents and students anxiously await their district's decision.
"Just as long as the kids stay safe is all that matters to me," said Bizelli.
Student safety is also top of mind for superintendents in St. Louis County.
Carl said he thinks about everything from new student-drivers trying to get to school, to the buses picking kids up, to janitors who have to plow parking lots and salt sidewalks even if school is called off.
You can keep up with all the closings as the weather moves in at KSDK.com/closings.
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