Posted at: 12/08/2009 6:57 PM
Updated at: 12/08/2009 7:27 PM
By: Dan Conradt

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Snow Day for Kids

(ABC 6 NEWS) -- It's been a day of disrupted school schedules.

Many school districts around our area -- Chatfield, Kasson, Byron, Mason City and Osage dismissed class early ahead of the storm.

And it could be just the tip of the iceberg as we look toward Wednesday.

But what are the variables that go into the decision to change a school schedule because of the weather?

The priority is clear.

"The safety, number one, of our students and staff," says David Krenz.

Deciding on how to best protect that safety takes some work.

"We work with our local meteorologists and what does that weather front look like and how soon can we expect it to get here," Krenz says.  "I was just on the phone with a colleague of mine, superintendent in Albert Lea, what are you looking at, and we're communicating back and forth among the superintendents.  And what the bus drivers have to say ... what they have to say in terms of is it safe or not safe out there."

But not all kids ride the bus, so safety decisions are made in the best interests of those who walk to school.

"We have a mile of walking radius in the district," Krenz says.

So if school gets cancelled, mom and dad will probably have to go to work anyway, so what do you do with the kids? Some of them are going to end up here.

"We’re ready," says Ruth Chamberlain.

The Austin YMCA is just one of the places around the area preparing to open it's daycare facilities to handle an influx of young snowbirds.

"Sometimes we get 2, sometimes we get 10, sometimes we get 20," says Chamberlain.  “We'll be making sure they have fun.

And whether Wednesday’s crowd is 2 or 10 or 20 is still up in the air.

"What we try to do is make that decision as soon as possible without getting caught in the old 'the front moved this way or that way', and it's beautiful outside," Krenz says.

But a decision is probably coming soon.

"From the looks of it we'll try to make a decision this evening and call as soon as we can," Krenz says.

By contract, school districts must be in session a certain number of days.

If they miss too many days because of weather, they need to start making them up.

Missed days have no impact on a school district's state aid.