Schools Quickly Using Up Snow Days, And Winter Has Not Yet Begun

By Beth Germano, WBZ-TV

November 2, 2011 6:30 PM

The fire department has ordered no one enter the Nashoba Regional High School.

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BOSTON (CBS) – It’s been three straight days without school for the Nashoba Regional school district that comprises the towns of Bolton, Stow and Lancaster. The district has used up three of its five snow days as it struggles with continuing power outages, and the winter season has not yet begun.

“I’m worried about continuity for the students,” said Superintendent Michael Wood, who says they’ll have to go late into June if necessary, but it’s too soon to know how the winter will affect the snow days.

High school junior Cara McCormack says she’s now starting to worry about missing school work. “You’d think it’s not stressful having almost a week off but now I’d rather be in school,” she said. “I’m worried about having to make it up.”

WBZ-TV’s Beth Germano reports

Her family has been unable to stay in their Bolton home without heat and is shuttling back and forth to her grandmother’s house.

Christina Hager reports on power outages

“I think everyone is a little cranky,” says her mother, Lisa, who believes three days is a lot of missed time in school. Monica King has four children in the school district, now playing mostly board games and able to stay in the home thanks to a wood stove. “It was the weekend when the power went out, Nobody brought home homework. There’s not much you can do,” she said.

Blocked roads, damaged lines are all contributing the problem. A sign on the door at Nashoba Regional high school says, “No entry per order of the fire department”.

More than three thousand students have been affected by the closings. It was a similar story last year when winter storms forced the schools to stay in session an extra week in June.

All Nashoba schools will be open Thursday.

Schools Quickly Using Up Snow Days, And Winter Has Not Yet Begun

Nelle

What? They don’t assign homework on the weekends? ….. “It was the weekend when the power went out, Nobody brought home homework.”
Is this the dumbing down of American education?

M.S

Our schools do not assign homework on weekends

Glf

Hey, it’s NOT Nashoba Valley. Who is this reporter? Its just Nashoba Regional school district.

Nascobal Valley is another school- a Voc. school someplace else
http://www.thehulltruth.com/dockside-chat/385548-boston-nearly-uses-up-snow-days-before-winter-begins.html#post4130084 Boston nearly uses up snow days — before winter begins! – The Hull Truth – Boating and Fishing Forum

[...] [...]
John McGuire

I thought that with anthropogenic global warming and all, kids just wouldn’t know what snow is anymore. HaHaHaHa
Pockets Sixtyfour

I thought you guys got real winters up there. What was it about this storm that knocked you off kilter? Was it the timing?

That’s a real question. Not a zing on how you handle snow. Folks down here shut everything down when “Frosty the Snowman” plays on TV.

Dave (in MA)

It happened while the trees were still in full leaf, causing branches to get weighed down with snow more than they would have in another few weeks. The power outages were caused by falling branches and entire trees.

porchhound

I have no comment
JB Kinston

The economy is collapsing and so is America’s infrastructure. What such a vital yet fundamental service such as electricity is compromised you know the end is coming.

The empire is collapsing, and no one seems to care because it isn’t hip to care about such things. Oh nevermind, just go back to watching Jersey shore (once power is restored)

OhioGirl82

It’s not America’s infrastructure collapsing. It was just snow laden trees collapsing.

This was an October snow so it was a very wet, heavy snow. Trees that had already dropped their leaves (beech, some maple, crab apple) were mostly fine. Trees that still had leaves (oaks, lindens, plums, etc) were weighed down, as were the pines. The 15′ oak tree in our yard had all of it’s branches bent to the ground and was only 8′ tall on Sunday morning. Fortunately 2/3 of it returned upright after I removed the snow from it. 1/3 of it snapped off forever. Picture a snow burden that bends all of an oak’s branches to the ground!

In my 20 years here, I have seen this level of tree damage 3 times: this week, and ice storms in Dec 2008 and Spring 1996. New England hurricanes don’t compare.

ew-3

Heaven forbid they cancel a few of the days in one of their week long school closures (Christmas break, Winter break or spring break).

OR maybe the teachers could give up a few of the days they have the schools closed for “teacher development”.
cloudy skies

Do people still pretend they are from Boston – LOL

Dave (in MA)

As far as I know the only one claiming that this has anything to do with Boston is Drudge.

esses

Now, it seems the least little storm knocks power out for 1 week, as America enters it’s final chapter of existence, we’re on the verge of becoming the 3rd world country we always wanted to be, with so much diveristy and importing impoverished illegal aliens, the liberals are gleeful.

tartofdarkness

Did you bother to read what Dave (MA) said about the effect of early snowfall during leaf season? That’s a simple scientific answer to a simple question. And I’m not surprised that deteriorating infrastructure contributes. Funny, it seems to me that no-tax conservatives have more influence on refusal to pay higher taxes for repairs to aging infrastructure ’cause paying for roads, schools and so forth for everyone would be socialism, doncha know?

Ron Zaks

Mr./Mrs tart, according to the solons of liberty in Illinois tax dollars go to the employees and not the infrastructure because the union municipal employees vote and the infrastructure does not. I am sure the same dictum applies in other demoncrat fiefdoms. That is why the infrastructure is crumbling.
Grunt

Additionally, it’s gasoline tax that covers the expense of repairing and building roads and some infrastructure.

Additionally, the ONEderchild (You know, President Pigment) made it part of his campaign to hyperregulate coal-burning electrical plants to where “Utility Costs would essentially skyrocket”–and he’s at least kept that promise, as plants are closing.

…Dont’chaknowah.

glenp

this damnable MAN MADE GLOBAL WARMING is going to FREEZE US TO DEATH!!!

isn’t it just ONE MONTH into AUTUMN?? why is there WINTER WEATHER 2 MOS. before winter? is ALGORE creating another ALGORE EFFECT and freezing the world?
glenp

looks like God is smiting these idiot leftist liberals with their FALSE gods of global warming.

but I thought the COMPUTER MODELS showed us we are doomed to cook to death! you know those EAST ANGLIA UNIV computer models using COOKED NUMBERS
or maybe it’s NOAA’s HANSEN’s computer models –you know using his COOKED BOOKS
TPM47

Don’t schools take a week off in Feb.? If you don’t want to go to school later in June, then call this February vaction. I guess that would to much for for the little darlings and the union hack teachers.

OhioGirl82

It has been done, but old school tradition in Massachusetts was to partake in the winter traditions that week, e.g., skiing, snowmobiling, etc. Many families still plan trips for that week but no longer limit themselves to New England, and to get the best deal on airfare, they purchased their tickets long ago. Canceling February vacation would not be well received.

Yes, I know some of you will mock those who have to sacrifice their already paid for vacations, but I recognize it as a serious consideration. People save their money and plan far in advance for special trips.

Reality Check

Alex Paen clarifies: “Will this reporter get her facts straight. It’s Nashoba Regional High School. There’s no Nashoba Valley Regional High school or district.”

Thanks Alex, that changes the whole story. Those kid’s no longer have to worry about the school work they missed now. Thanks again for clearing that up for everyone.
OhioGirl82

The real story being avoided is the role of the utility companies. The towns with small municipal companies have faired well in these storms. 80% of the homes in my town lost power. Down to 40% out after 1 day, down to 20% out after 2 days, down to 5% out after 3 days, and the whole town restored by Wednesday. Every single day the manager informed the townspeople what had been accomplished and what the plan was for the next day. Meanwhlie, the adjacent towns which use National Grid were at 65%, 65% and 50% outages still on Wednesday, with little-to-no info about when they’d be back up and running.

State legislation from 70 years ago requires the major utilities to give permission before a town can set up a municipal company. National Grid and NStar refuse to let go of any towns. The towns have been working to overturn that legislation for 20 years now so that they can break free of National Grid or NStar. Thanks to the lobbying dollars, the state legislator won’t let the new bills reach the floor. Our state legislators won’t allow competition under the guise that it might cost the towns too much to switch, so they are protecting us.
Pocho Basura

lack of education in boston?
nothin new…….
ppl grow up to be drunks, democrats or both
no need for education
larry weeks

Our little Iowa town (pop 1500) still has our diesel generators. When Iowa Power loses a line along the grid, the guys simply go fire them up and we’re back on in 20 minutes. When lines go down due to ice or snow, our city crew puts them back up. Most I’ve ever been out of power is 2 hours in the last 32 years. Much to be said for independance!
Huh

Maybe it’s just me, but only building in 5 snow days for a school district in the Northeast? We use that many in Kansas City.

veronica

I’m not from MA. I live in Rochester, NY where we get an easy 100+ inches of snow every winter. Schools here build in only 3 snowdays. We are lucky if we even use 1! Last year all the school districts here in Western NY closed the night before due to that “HUGE” snowstorm that was wrecking havoc across the country. I woke up and we didn’t even have an inch of snow! However the following day we were to receive lake effect snow….. We got 6+ inches of snow, but still had school! I can say the county and towns in the Rochester area are very prepared for things like this!

fkelly

Bolton, not Boston. Boston got a dusting. Is anyone paying attention to the story?
Black Eagle

By planning for a non-existent “Global Warming” event, and playing politics with science, the liberal-left leadership in the Northeast states have basically spit upon the communities which they are supposed to serve. They should immediately FIRE every administrator who advised for continued warmth and mild winters, and HIRE to top positions all the slandered professionals who predicted for more snow and colder climes. But of course, that won’t happen. The sheeple in Mass must shiver in the dark for a few more winters before they question the religion of leftism.
Fanny Forbes Franklen

Send the bill to Al Gore. — http://911essentials.com
Jeffrey Shultz

Worry not. It’s hardly as if anything taught by members of the Massachusetts Teachers Association isn’t worth missing altogether.