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Posted on Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 5:57 a.m.

Schools close Monday due to icy roads

By Paula Gardner

Ann Arbor Public Schools and most other Washtenaw County schools will be closed Monday due to road conditions.

In Ann Arbor, parents were notified at about 5:45 a.m. by email and automatic phone call.

"Roads are icy, especially along the unpaved and rural roads," said district spokesperson Liz Margolis in an email to AnnArbor.com.

Other districts in Washtenaw County that planned to close by 6 a.m. include: Saline, Ypsilanti, Willow Run, Whitmore Lake, the Washtenaw Intermediate School District, Chelsea, Dexter, Lincoln, Milan and Manchester.

Nearby districts like Van Buren Public Schools in Belleville, Clinton, Pinckney and Brighton also closed.

Later additions to the list include: Ann Arbor Christian, Ann Arbor Learning Community, Calvary Christian, Central Academy, Daycroft Montessori, Emerson, Father Gabriel Richard, Eastern Washtenaw Multicultural Academy, Early College Alliance, Greenhills, Hebrew Day School, Huron Valley Catholic, Michigan Islamic Academy, Rudolf Steiner, Spiritus Sanctus, St. Francis of Assisi.

The districts were among about five dozen to announce closings early Monday, according to a report on WDIV-TV. That number climbed to more than 120 by 6:30 a.m.

The day off gives many kids a four-day weekend, since all local districts except Ann Arbor closed on Friday due to snow.

Comments

Timber

Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 6:30 a.m.

Besides the absurdity of schools being closed today ... Our east-side neighborhood had salt trucks running up & down the small neigborhood streets multiple times this afternoon. This neighborhood is rarely ever treated by the salt trucks. Today was the first time they've come thru our neighborhood this winter season. The salt truck began it's trek back & forth mid afternoon today. Our streets were completely DRY. Not only no snow or ice ... But very little water/puddles. All had drained into the sewer drains. What a waste of time & money from the city. This neighborhood is quiet, low flow traffic, flat land.

Frustrated in A2

Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 5:24 a.m.

I talked to my grandma today and she said "schools were closed today in 40 degree weather?" I had to laugh while trying to explain why the kids got a snow day when there was no snow!

Martha Cojelona Gratis

Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 3:54 a.m.

Maybe the city just ran out of street salt for the season..?

brian

Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 3:35 a.m.

Seems like the ones who made the decision to close may have had a little to much last night.

JRW

Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 12:43 a.m.

There was backlash on Friday from not closing schools. So today, they closed the schools rather than a late start. Probably in part to "appease" the backlash from Friday.

jcj

Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 12:51 a.m.

PLEASE explain why ALL the other schools in S.E.Mi closed schools.Your argument? does not hold water!

JRW

Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 12:37 a.m.

If there had been adequate salt and road treatment to icy roads BEFORE 6 a.m. Monday morning, there would have been no problem. The road commission and city seem to think that after the "storm" on Friday, all the plowing and salting was done! Wipe those brows and sit back! No further need to salt any roads after Friday. This was a big mistake, as evidenced by many icy roads this morning. Unless the road commission and city start to take a proactive approach to road maintenance during the winter (don't hold your breath), we will continue to lurch from one storm to another, with a very minimal, reactive approach to winter road maintenance. All kinds of accidents and injuries will be the result, along with unnecessary school closings.

jcj

Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 12:50 a.m.

@JRW Last Thur night about 8:30 the city was putting salt down ( tons of it )on Maple BEFORE any snow had fallen. The next morning after the snow you could tell NO difference between Maple and other streets where they did not waste the salt!

dk

Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 12:27 a.m.

At 7:30am I slid right through a stop sign leaving my neighborhood. It was really bad. Must have slid for 15 yards prior to the stop sign. Once I got on bigger roads they seemed totally fine.

John Simon

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 11:01 p.m.

Many side roads are absolutely terrible..Right call on this one. My street is literally a sheet of ice..Not just spotty or a couple of places, but the entire neighborhood is like an ice rink...

JRW

Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 12:39 a.m.

Side roads were terrible because neither the county nor city did anything after the main storm event on Friday. The main roads were fine later on Friday but side roads remained untreated. Apparently, the road commission and city road crew don't work on weekends.

music to my ear

Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 12:20 a.m.

get your skates out and go enjoy the free skate son.

loyallocal

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 8:29 p.m.

I wouldn't want any administrator responsibility such as this. It is truly a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" call. I trust their decisions. It only takes ONE terrible accident and ONE big lawsuit!! Parents that are inconvenienced by these days must consider school "daycare". It's all for the safety of our children, our teachers and our school bus drivers. Give 'em a break.

whojix

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 6:39 p.m.

Nothing like a mild winter day to make people abandon their responsibilities. These kids should all become teachers or they're in for a rude awakening once they hit the real world.

Frustrated in A2

Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 5:21 a.m.

Agreed whojix Lol!!!

jcj

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 9:06 p.m.

@whojix Nothing like a school closing to make some commentators abandon all common sense! You must have no responsibilities yourself, if at 1:39 you have nothing else to do but post ridiculous statements. Maybe you should have become an administrator you seem to be an expert in your mind!

Olive

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 7:44 p.m.

And my post is to whojix, not jd019.

jd019

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 7:19 p.m.

Teachers don't get to make the call on snow days. Don't complain about teachers having the day off- you could have become a teacher and gotten the "cushy" work schedule. You would also then have to deal with complete disrespect from students, parents, and people like you. Don't forget about the ridiculous testing and the weight of teaching youth.

Townspeak

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 6:24 p.m.

Schools should never close when it is above freezing and no new snow. Delay or cancel bus service but today was not a valid closure. It seems like a make up call for last week. There needs to be written rules and less discretion on the part of admin officials. Imagine if we had a real snowstorm, like they did out east. I imagine they would close for the week. What's worse we are paying the teachers. Million dollar losses because of a few rural roads makes no sense. change the policy and quit bending over for some dirt roaders. They chose to live there, the rest of us should not be paying for that.

ummsw

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 8:22 p.m.

Explain why the other 130 school districts were closed today,when most of them were closed on Friday...

jcj

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 7:59 p.m.

And what is it in your training that makes you qualified to say it was not a valid closing? I think the fact that most parents WITH kids think it was warranted is the only validation needed!

bluetonguedlizard

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 7:46 p.m.

In Australia they cancel school if it is above 40 degrees celcius because it is not safe for the kids to be outside.

Christie O.

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 6:06 p.m.

Absolutely ridiculous...both for today and last Friday. I understand that some of the back roads were icy; Out of curiosity I drove some of the dirt roads near my house. Yes, they were ice covered, but with caution, they were totally driveable. This is Michigan, after all. We should be used to driving in bad weather.

hockeymom

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 7:29 p.m.

There is NO WAY a school bus 'driving with caution' - don't they always? could have driven on my road this am. Sheet of ice. Stop signs at bottom of hills would have not been made. Let's no forget about the young drivers. Teenagers driving + ice = accidents.

bluetonguedlizard

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 6:27 p.m.

Well Christie perhaps you should drive a bus and see if you can be as good a driver in these conditions.

jcj

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 6:23 p.m.

Ridiculous describes your perspective to a tee! WHY do you think ALL the schools in the county were closed????

Paul Wiener

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 5:24 p.m.

Idiotic, wasteful, shameful, hypocritical and probably deceitful decision.....

jcj

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 5:41 p.m.

Not surprisingly that describes your comment!

Cindy Heflin

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 5:19 p.m.

As some commenters have already noted, many unpaved roads this morning were very slippery. Emergency crews responded to many crashes. Jim Harmon of the Washtenaw County Road Commission told me the hard-packed snow had bonded with the road surfaces. Add some rain on top of that and you get a very slippery surface. Also, using salt is not an option, because the melting that the salt causes makes the road surface less stable. Instead snowplow drivers focus on scraping the surface and putting down sand for traction. Here's a link to a story with more information about this: http://www.annarbor.com/news/icy-roads-lead-to-spinouts-and-crashes-in-ann-arbor-area/

JRW

Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 12:46 a.m.

So, when exactly was Jim Harmon's crew out there "treating" the roads? 8:00 Monday morning, after they had their coffee? They should have been out there at 4 and 5 am, BEFORE buses start their runs and BEFORE most commuters are on the road.

JRW

Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 12:42 a.m.

Jim Harmon always has an excuse NOT to use salt. Just once this winter, I'd like to hear him give an example of when to USE salt. Somehow other cities and counties in snowy places seem to get it right. There are more sophisticated road treatments than salt and sand. Many cold cities use a road mix that will work in low temps, high temps, etc. Get with the program, A2 and Washtenaw County!

Mitch

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 5:07 p.m.

I find this funny, last Thrusday was worse on main roads than this morning. Yet schools were open. Sounds like someone is a bit more timid this time around.

JB SHOOTER

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 4:38 p.m.

I am glad I didn't rely on the message of icy roads. I was thinking I would not go to work because of the icy conditions. However, I looked out and could see puddles in the street and driveway so I knew driving was no problem.

Chester Drawers

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 4:22 p.m.

About 20 years (or so) ago, the district had a 'bus route snow emergency' procedure. When conditions were bad (but not horrible), buses would only travel the main roads and kids had to get to pickup locations. Can't remember when this method was dropped, or even if it was used very often.

Therese

Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 12:39 a.m.

We did this with a bus driver a couple of years ago. She had my cell # and I would take the kids to the next (paved) stop. It worked for us.

5travellers

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 4:03 p.m.

I can't believe the comments from parents who could care less about the other "5%"...aka other children. You would seriously jeopardize another child's life so that you have childcare? And who cares if they made it to school, right? Just so YOUR child is there. I'm not even one of those 5%, and that's disheartening to read from another parent.

concernedmom

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 3:44 p.m.

Would someone (I'm sure many will chime in) give me an accurate (not a guestimate) figure of how many students are actually bused in from actual rural areas to Ann Arbor schools? It seems all the people I know whose kids are bused live not far from main roads like Elsworth and Stadium. These parents tell me busing is just a convenience for them and I have no doubt that although the buses could not deliver their kids to school this morning they had no problem gettout out to the malls and rec centers in their area. I really do not think it is fair that the busing needs of the few who are truly stranded should dictate whether the schools are closed for all.

bluetonguedlizard

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 4:47 p.m.

There are many unpaved gravel roads or sections of roads within the city of Ann Arbor and some have significant inclines, so this is not just a "rural" thing. Could those kids probably get to a main road? Yes, but there is no system for that currently and you would still risk those kids slipping or being hit by a car that looses control.

Mike

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 3:33 p.m.

There are some people on here who just love to complain. I applaud this decision, as many roads are sheets of ice this morning.

Cash

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 2:55 p.m.

Advisory sent: We are experiencing icy road conditions on secondary roads and all dirt roads throughout Washtenaw County. Washtenaw County Sheriffs Office 2/11 9:30AM

Little Patience

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 6:22 p.m.

@MRunner, I have seen several trucks out today. Hopefully it will be enough to get kids back in school tomorrow.

MRunner73

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 4:14 p.m.

The same issues will exist tomorrow morning if crews are not dispathed today, before dark to treat not only all these rural roads but the numerous residential city streets as well. The ground is frozen which is why this issue exists and sub frezing temps by late tonight and early tomorrow would make this worse. Bottom line, you are correct but crews need to treat these roads.

Mike

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 3:40 p.m.

Nonsense! It's all a political conspiracy!

Little Patience

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 3:23 p.m.

Yup. Something was going on on Merrit Road (dirt road) between Whittaker and Tuttle Hill when I went by around 8:30a.m. There was at least one ambulance, a tow truck, and a couple other emergency vehicles.

jcj

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 2:24 p.m.

Wake up whiners! WHY do you think almost every school district in the county is CLOSED! Are they all inept?

Brad

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 2:12 p.m.

I just got back from a morning walk and it is SLICK out there, especially in spots. Anything that wasn't cleared from the last storm (like all the streets in our neighborhood and the sidewalks of the bad neighbors) can be treacherously slick.

Dan Ezekiel

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 2:09 p.m.

For what it's worth, a city sewer maintenance truck, unoccupied and sitting in the middle of our Old West Side street while the workers cleared a sewer line, slid on the wet ice into the side of my parked van. It had to be pulled off by a wrecker, at which point my crunched driver side door miraculously popped back out, almost completely undamaged.

Cash

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 3:15 p.m.

Glad that no one was standing between the vehicles when that happened! Wow.

a2roots

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 2:02 p.m.

Open you eyes clueless people. Of course most local roads and streets are fine. However, busses travel many miles on gravel roads as well as others that do not get salted and therefore have snowpack. These roads regardless of temperature are treacherous. You can skate down them easier than drive down them.

thinker

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 1:45 p.m.

The city did nothing to our paved road after this last snow. This am it is so icy that even with crampons, I won't chance it-first time this winter. If the roads were sanded or salted, or scraped, the problem maybe would not have been so bad.

Lon Horwedel

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 1:44 p.m.

For the record, that's one snow day in the last two calendar school years. If you were told two years ago your kids would have only one snow day in the next two years, would you still be complaining? To put it in perspective, Skyline has had three times as many power outages in one semester, than snow days in two years.

Lon Horwedel

Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 1:39 p.m.

Second for elementary kids, but only the first for middle and high schoolers, they had a teacher work day or something the first one, so they were off school anyway.

Christie O.

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 6:09 p.m.

Actually this is the 2nd this year.

rosy12

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 1:37 p.m.

Hilarious! Last week you all complained that they didn't close school (safety, safety, safety!!) and now you are all complaining that they were closed. Its Winter, its Michigan. Deal with it.

keepitbalanced

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 1:36 p.m.

Trust me, I was one of the complainers about school closings until I moved and I now live on a dirt road. The air temperature has no bearing on the road condition. My road was a solid (very solid) sheet of ice. The roads in our area are also very hilly. There would be no way a driver could control a bus in these conditions. My kids are on the bus for 50 minutes, one way. Most of that time is spent on dirt roads.

hawkhulk

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 1:30 p.m.

I don't see the roads being that bad. I'm glad I am not a parent. The district didn't cancel classes on Friday during the midst of a snowstorm and now this? Give me a break.

jcj

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 2:41 p.m.

And we are glad you are not on the school board!

jcj

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 1:27 p.m.

My first thought was WHAT! But the decision is made long before most of us were awake this morning. And as has been said put water on frozen ground and it freezes.

glimmertwin

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 1:25 p.m.

No problem. Just have teachers go in today, do the work that they would be doing on one of the their scheduled days off like "teacher development", "records", etc. Then the kids can go to school on those previously scheduled days off. This way the kids don't miss out on any of their classroom time, and the teachers still get their days without students that they have in their contracts.

johnnya2

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 2:57 p.m.

@ Glimmertwin. It is REQUIRED by law to have a set number of instructional days. They build in EXTRA days every years for snow and ice days. If there are 185 days scheduled, and they do not cancel any, there are five extra days of instruction. Why would it matter to you if the 180 days happen now, or an extra two are added on in June to keep a margin of safety. Maybe your neighborhood is fine, but EVERY school district in the county closed today. Private schools have different standards to meet for safety. They can pick and choose or tell parents they need to drive their own kids in, so I do not care what they do. I know if there was a school bus accident that killed your kid or a loved one, you would be on here whining about how they didn't cancel school when they knew there was icey conditions.

glimmertwin

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 1:47 p.m.

No, the GOOD ones will be working. Not the all of them and the kids will still miss yet another day being taught in a classroom.

48104

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 1:42 p.m.

Teachers will be working. I guarantee I will see grades come up in PowerSchool that were not there when I checked this morning. With the class size increases in high school, teachers take every chance to grade.

John Devine

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 1:23 p.m.

I live in Ann Arbor right off Stadium and our street is a sheet of ice and side street inside the city is the same in our neighborhood. I have watched people leaving dor work sliding on the streets

Carole

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 1:15 p.m.

Thank you AAPS for being sensible and closing the schools due to icy conditions. To all of those who are complaining, I wonder how many of you have ever driven a school bus loaded with 50 plus children on roads that are less than desirable, i.e. icy. And, how many of you would take the chance of doing so risking an accident. I commend all of the bus drivers for the marvelous job they do keeping our children safe.

dancinginmysoul

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 12:53 p.m.

IMHO, the premise AAPS are somehow making up for not closing on Friday falls apart when you consider over 120 schools in SE Michigan are closed. Wouldn't the premise only hold true if no schools were closed? Are the other schools that closed somehow attempting to make up for something as well?

MRunner73

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 12:50 p.m.

OK, I saw that Ypsi, Saline, and Whitmore Lake made similar decisions. Let's get real; perhaps 5% of the rural roads have some ice underneath some puddles. Why would the other 95% be impacted? If that's the case, snow showers tonight could leave a few patches of snow over those same rural roads tomorrow morning. Better cancel school now. It is getting to be that conditions need to be 50 deg, clear, and wind under 10 mph for a no brainer to schedule classes.

Cash

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 4:58 p.m.

Sorry Runner...you have no facts to back that up. I wouldn't be willing to risk the life of a child on your opinion. I'd sooner respect the opinion of the WCSD as they've been responding to accidents all morning. "We are experiencing icy road conditions on secondary roads and all dirt roads throughout Washtenaw County. " WCSD It does not have to be a bus driver that CAUSES an accident. It can be any number of people who went out on the roads this morning.

MRunner73

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 4:10 p.m.

jcp...indeed here are icy residential streets as I saw first hand after 9 AM this morning. However, the busses could have negotiated them, albeit slowly. Some would have fallen behind schedule but the risk of injury to the students would be low as long as the bus drivers were cautious. So, if these same urban street remain untreated, the same problem will exist tomorrow morning when all of this now slushy ice refeezes. Then what?

jcj

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 2:43 p.m.

M Come back when you have the facts!

Cash

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 2:14 p.m.

The Road Commission currently maintains approximately 1,649 miles of certified roads in the county road system; out of these total miles, 770 are gravel roads.

AfterDark

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 1:01 p.m.

Some city streets were icy, too. Certain neighborhoods always seem to be icy even when others are mostly clear.

SonnyDog09

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 12:48 p.m.

The roads were wet, and not icy for my drive this morning. If there were problems with un-paved roads, what percentage of roads in Washtenaw are unpaved? Do we cancel schools because 5% (if that is the percentage) of roads may be icy? What percentage of the school age population has to be transported over un-paved roads?

bluetonguedlizard

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 3:48 p.m.

there are many unpaved roads within the city of Ann Arbor so this is not just a rural thing. Heather Way in the Ann Arbor Hills is partially unpaved and on a substantial incline, a portion of Traver rd is un paved, Jorn Ct is unpaved and I am sure there are many more.

Mike

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 3:37 p.m.

What a minute. You're telling me that your drive was fine, and they still had the nerve to cancel classes? Don't they know everyone takes the same route you do?

keepitbalanced

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 1:40 p.m.

My kids are on the bus for 50 minutes, one way. At least 30 minutes of that travel time is spent on dirt roads. My road was a sheet of very thick ice this morning. I think you under-estimate the time travelled on dirt roads in the district.

AfterDark

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 1:03 p.m.

Some city streets were icy, too. Not as bad as the unpaved roads, but still icy enough to slide and lose control.

MRunner73

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 12:50 p.m.

Same thought, same post at the same time...thumbs up.

Irwin Daniels

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 12:45 p.m.

IMO - this is like a call in basketball the refs (in this case) the school board blows a call last week - and this week they blow the whistle for no reason (and close schools). I live in the AA district on dirt roads and I did not have issues. I drove slower than normal and wow I got to work safe and sound and yes my kids are with me at work.

Chester Drawers

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 2:32 p.m.

Irwin Daniels, Do you have any understanding of the role of the school board? The decision about closing schools for inclement weather is made by district level administrators, NOT the Board of Education!

Moonmaiden

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 2:02 p.m.

Working hard on Facebook?

chapmaja

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 12:41 p.m.

Remember folks, the air temperature is just part of the equation. The air temp is the major factor in determining what happens when precipitation falls. What happens to that precipitation when it falls is largely determined by the surface temperature where it falls and what it falls on. We still had a substantial amount of snow on the rural roads. Snow that had not been melted off by the sunshine in recent days. That snow is below 32 degrees. When the rain falls on something below 32 degrees it will blend characteristics with the rain. Some of the rain (above 32 degrees) will melt snow. Some of the rain will also freeze. It is this amount that froze that causes the problems on the still snow covered roads. Why didn't the sunshine melt the snow on non-paved roads? First, they generally can not be salted. Salt when applied interacts with water to lower the freezing temperature of water. This means that it will melt snow on roadways, which when combined with roads being plowed, and sunshine evaporates the moisture off the majority of roads. Another factor is many rural roads are very tree lined. They often have a complete canopy of tree branches over the roads, which prevents sunshine for reaching the road surface and melting the snow on the roadway. This snow is what reacts with rain and forms ice on dirt roads. The snow that does melt isn't treated with salt, so unless it evaporates, it's freezing temperature is still 32 degrees, so it will freeze when it becomes 32 degrees as well.

jns131

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 7:32 p.m.

Taken from a true spoken Chuck Gadica fan.

jcj

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 2:46 p.m.

M PLEASE get your facts straight as to what percentage of bus travel is on dirt roads. You do not have a clue!

keepitbalanced

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 1:45 p.m.

So, MRunner73, what is the acceptable risk? How many kids? You say only 5% of the roads were icy. How many children does that equate to? My kids travel on a bus filled with 50-60 kids. That is one bus. The bulk of that drive is spent on dirt roads. I am sure the drive was just fine for most. As soon as I hit the paved roads this morning, mine was fine. Getting to the paved roads was a completely different story.

MRunner73

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 12:53 p.m.

A nice mesoscale meteorological comment. Bottom line, perhaps 5% of the rurla roads are indeed icy. The 95% are able to attend classes. Poor decisions. Too much overreaction.

Alan Benard

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 12:40 p.m.

Somebody needs to be fired. When I was sliding down Miller St. sideways during the last snowstorm, school was open. Now that people who moved to the middle of nowhere to not pay taxes to pave the roads have an issue, the rest of us receive a snow day when there's no precipitation. Senseless.

Rudedog

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 6:48 p.m.

Sorry Alan, but I live on a gravel road (between Maple and Wagner) and my road was icy. I wouldn't want my kids to have to walk to the bus stop this morning on these roads!

bluetonguedlizard

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 6:23 p.m.

there are un paved roads in Ann Arbor Hills and you can't get much more A2 tax payer than that!

sunny8223

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 4:34 p.m.

Ok.....So, if you live on a dirt road you don't pay taxes. I live on a dirt/gravel road and pay over $5000 a year.

jcj

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 2:48 p.m.

Alan You drive down 1/2 of 1% of the school district roads and you consider yourself qualified to make decisions that effect thousands of kids. WRONG!

Brad

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 1:30 p.m.

If they're in Pittsfield they are not in the city limits. Mutually exclusive, and not the roads they're talking about anyway.

AfterDark

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 1:07 p.m.

There are unpaved roads within city limits. They might technically be islands of Pittsfield but they certainly aren't out in 'the middle of nowhere.'

bruno_uno

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 12:37 p.m.

Im sorry but I have no respect for a job that places little regard for common sense and welfare for the kids and makes every decision in the political structure of the organization.

jcj

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 9:13 p.m.

bruno The first TWO words of your post sum it up pretty well, I agree you are. Which job are you talking about? Parenting?

jns131

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 7:31 p.m.

erocypsi? You must be a supervisor. Because they are the ones that get up at 2 with their SUV's and slip side away.

sh1

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 1:23 p.m.

How is this a political decision? The entire county closed schools. Do you have a conspiracy theory?

Erocypsi

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 1:05 p.m.

Yes, good thing you were out there at 3:00 this morning testing the back roads so you could make the decision...

EyeHeartA2

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 12:35 p.m.

Make-up call. Or maybe Green flew back into town from her Friday off and couldn't believe how bad the road were. Awkward silence in the office followed when she asked how last Friday went.

jcj

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 2:49 p.m.

Eyeheart Better not to speak than speak to soon.Check out all the comments as to how icy some roads are/were!

AfterDark

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 12:39 p.m.

Nope, definitely more hazardous driving today on some roads than on any of the roads on Friday.

chapmaja

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 12:29 p.m.

I saw this coming last night as I drove home through Chelsea and Dexter. The dirt roads (few of them have significant gravel on them) were sheets of ice yesterday evening. The rain landing on the snow turns them to ice. We had significant areas of ice on my road and several others I traveled yesterday evening. The temperature was not high enough to melt that ice, as evidenced by the two spin outs I've seen on my road this morning. A two hour delay would do nothing to solve this situation. The road commission needs to get out and get sand down on the dirt roads, and salt down on the main roads. There will not be significant sunshine today to aid in the melting of the ice, AND, the temperature is going to drop throughout the day. The wind speed is also supposed to increase throughout the day combined with decreasing temperatures.

John Simon

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 11:08 p.m.

12 hours after the call was made, the roads near my house are still sheets of ice, no plows, no salt..Wanna bet on tomorrow?

jcj

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 9:15 p.m.

"The wind speed is also supposed to increase throughout the day" And this has no effect unless you are out in it walking to school!

Paula Gardner

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 12:21 p.m.

I am hearing about a few icy roads and crashes as I listen to the police scanner this morning. One recent call was for Morgan Road near Thomas in Pittsfield Township. I believe that area is unpaved and probably one of those rural roads mentioned as the reason for closing. We're also going to be checking on how the school closing affects the NAAPID at Night event, which was going to be at Lincoln.

jns131

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 7:30 p.m.

It is unpaved. So is Park and Morgan and Joy. Pratt road is even funner up hill on icy roads. The children could have met the bus on main roads. But nope, not happening today.

sh1

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 12:18 p.m.

There may be a lack of ability to see things beyond the scope of one's own environment here. I lived for many years on an unpaved road. Puddles collect and turn in to sheets of ice, even when the air temperature is above 32ยบ. No matter which way the district calls it, people will be unhappy.

AfterDark

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 12:22 p.m.

Even some of the side streets in the city are icy. I suspect most saying everything's peachy are just looking at the air temperature and haven't been out driving (or even walking).

david st. crystal

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 12:10 p.m.

I think it's a great decision. Teachers get paid for snow days, and the students get a day to goof off and watch TV, play video games, and sleep. Everybody wins.

david st. crystal

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 4:12 p.m.

That's right Erocypsi, they're built in. That simply means that, until the 6th snow day, teachers don't have to make up any days. The 5 days aren't "extra," they're days that could have been missed w/out needing to be tacked on at the year's end. If the goal is to live in a fantasy land where teachers and students cry on snow days, get up three hours early everyday because of excitement, then fine. Not sure why there's such aversion to accepting reality--kids and teachers both enjoy days off. If you have a job where a day off is cause for mourning, congratulations.

johnnya2

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 2:49 p.m.

@ ercoypsi, Why would facts get int he way of a smarmy comment from somebody who doesn't know what they are talking about. It doesn't make his "witty" comment as forceful. Facts don't matter to his kind

Erocypsi

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 1:03 p.m.

Actually, teachers are not paid for snow days. The appx 5 days for inclement weather are built in to the schedule by the state. Take last year... No snow days, but teachers were not paid for the extra 5 days they worked.

hadit

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 12:09 p.m.

There's accidents all over the place. Cars piled up on 94 and several other highways. I also heard there was a terrible accident on an icy country road this morning. Go ahead and send your kids, I'm keeping mine home.

Harm

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 8:47 p.m.

You might be missing a 'teachable moment',TEACH your kids to slow down on icy roads and they will be better prepared for the next typical Michigan morning.....

AfterDark

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 12:08 p.m.

The unpaved roads I traveled this morning were every bit as icy as they were last winter when the school busses were sliding around, with one going off the road and tipping over.

AfterDark

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 12:09 p.m.

and yes, they were more hazardous than the other day when they were merely snow pack

Urban Sombrero

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 12:05 p.m.

I got my robocall at 5:45 and was stunned. I didn't see this one coming. I guess they're being cautious after the kerfuffle last Friday with them not calling off.

Urban Sombrero

Tue, Feb 12, 2013 : 5:14 a.m.

jcj: You're right. The back roads WERE awful. I heard this from people I work with, who live in the outlying areas. Still......Friday was bad, too. AWFUL, at least in my area. I still think AAPS is making up for not calling off then. A2girl.....not all of us check annarbor.com 24/7 for weather updates. So, yeah, this WAS a surprise to me because I did not check this site AND...the "major" weather sites weren't calling it, either. At least they weren't when I checked, before bedtime.

a2girl

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 11:29 p.m.

Annarbor.com was reporting last night that the road conditions this morning were going to be icy. This should have come as no surprise to anyone who looked at the forecast.

jns131

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 7:28 p.m.

All dressed and no where to go except back to bed.

jcj

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 2:52 p.m.

Urban " I guess they're being cautious after the kerfuffle last Friday with them not calling off." The key word you admitted to is guess! READ some of the accounts of icy roads then get back with us!

Jared Mauch

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 2:10 p.m.

I think the threat of power outages helped contribute.

ummsw

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 12:04 p.m.

128 schools are closed in SE Mi...rather drive on snow any day than ice...

Harm

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 8:44 p.m.

Michigan drivers should be able to handle a bit of either....

jns131

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 7:27 p.m.

Slip sliding away. Like they did last year....

Cash

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 12:07 p.m.

Yes, especially WET ICE....

bruno_uno

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : noon

POLITICS...dont bring my kids into your POLITICS, and stay off facebook, not cool to boast about your day off while the rest of us go to real jobs and juggle daycare.

eom

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 5:41 p.m.

Politics? Facebook? It's a snow day. They happen. As it turns out, they happen in order to keep children safe. Much to your chagrin, it has nothing to do with how "easy" teachers have it, or how unfair the world is. This is a petty comment, at best. At worst, you are insulting a wonderful and worthwhile profession and taking your grumpiness out on the rest of us.

jcj

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 2:54 p.m.

Wha! Wha! I have to think about what MY kids are going to do today. I am the only one with a real job! bruno Get a Life!

A2NativeGirl

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 12:54 p.m.

There are people who work for school districts who never get snow days.

sh1

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 12:32 p.m.

What do you mean "real jobs"?

buvda fray

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 11:58 a.m.

Kids on icy back roads should stay inside till it melts, and then pray for a mud day off tomorrow. Kids in the city get a free day to go to the library or a museum or their place of worship to do some volunteer work.

simone66

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 11:57 a.m.

Schools are closed again? This is Michigan, right? This is February, right?

jns131

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 7:26 p.m.

AAPS was the only district open on Friday. They closed on Monday. A make up for Friday? Maybe. Otherwise, Washtenaw county screwed up again. Did not consider salting the back roads. O well, we are less then 2 months out from winter.

GoNavy

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 11:56 a.m.

This seems like a poor call.

John Simon

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 11:06 p.m.

Friday should have been called, and today most certainly was the right decision..Stopped my car to take a picture of the "ice rink" that was the road..Completely slipped, fell down, and once I was back in my car, the tires just spun.

harry b

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 8:59 p.m.

Yes and they didn't close school on Friday. That was a bad call. I was told they didn't close it because of the pioneer vs huron game. Is that possible?

music to my ear

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 4:39 p.m.

not a poor call it helped save all

jcj

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 2:55 p.m.

Seemed that way to me until I read all the comments about how bad some roads are. Not to mention every district in the county is closed!

dancinginmysoul

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 11:55 a.m.

I am so confused. It's 42 degrees outside, I live in a rural area, the roads are fine. Schools don't close when the roads are snow covered but they will at 42 degrees? Baffled. Utterly baffled.

dancinginmysoul

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 4:54 p.m.

Wow thumbs downers. I'm not criticizing the school board, I was just shocked so many schools were closed. I understand why given the condition of the secondary and non paved roads. It does seem strange to show concern for the rural students today but not other days when the secondary roads are snow covered.

music to my ear

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 4:38 p.m.

dancinginmysoul dont you know the car wont roll

Jared Mauch

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 2:09 p.m.

My private road is clear and almost dry in parts, but some public roads I drove on this morning are almost ice sheets as the residual snow had not quite melted. I expect there are a large number of those roads which are in similar condition as my cousins neighborhood. My kids asked last night if today would be a snow day again today and I said no. Thankfully my cousin is helping today!

Cash

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 11:55 a.m.

Drive down a gravel road and then criticize the decision. The problem isn't really RURAL roads, the problem is rain on the already thickly iced GRAVEL roads. The ground is frozen...solid. When water is poured on it, the water freezes. The air temperature is immaterial. I suppose they could say buses would not travel on gravel roads and school would be open. But then there would be people trying to transport children on the wet icy gravel roads so they don't miss school. As a guy on the Weather Channel said about the state order to close all roads as the blizzard hit (and how it no doubt saved lives) "Sometimes people aren't wise..... and they need to be told what to do."

Cash

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 9:01 p.m.

After Dark, Exactly. People tend to forget the cold weather we've had the past week weeks. I'd guess that frost is really deep right now. I would imagine the grave diggers could tell us.

Cash

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 8:57 p.m.

jns, Yup. Not surprising. Not at all. Some people have to see it for themselves. But I would bet the ER was busy today!

harry b

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 8:51 p.m.

After Dark That is a terrible example. Ice rinks have refridgerator underneath the ice to keep the ice between 20 and 24 degrees. If they didn't it would all melt. Look it up. Its not hard to find at all. On the next spring day of 50 degree I challenge you to pour water on a pond of ice and see if it will freeze. Has anyone had a science class?

Simon Green

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 8:14 p.m.

@ After Dark... I assume in your example the compressors running the coolant loop below modern outdoor skating rinks are probably set to 15-20F... otherwise ponds would stay frozen as well.

jns131

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 7:25 p.m.

Cash? I just read an article about a woman who decided that it wasn't that big of a deal to drive thru this blizzard and head to work. She ignored the warnings and went out. Guess what? She got stuck less then a mile from her work place, spent the nice in a cold car with no food or water. I guess you just have to live and learn and realize most humans just can't stay put when told to. As I tell my friends? Stupid is as stupid does. Don't think she will ever do that again. Tell me to stay home? O yeah, I have things to do at home.

AfterDark

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 6:13 p.m.

Harry, 60 degrees is a little high, but at 50 degrees pouring water onto a cold surface can cause it to freeze. Modern outdoor skating rinks can be maintained up to 55 degrees air temperature.

harry b

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 6:09 p.m.

So with you logic I could pour water on a lake that is ice and it will freeze even if the temp. outside is 60 degree. And the great part about your statement is that you got 36 other people to buy into your logic. Come on people think for yourself.

jcj

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 2:56 p.m.

Thanks Cash! Very thoughtful post.

Cash

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 1:57 p.m.

I don't think "we" have changed a bit. But in a metro area, we are all interconnected and some folks are thinking they are alone on this planet. They behave only based on their own wants without thinking about how it impacts others. A car crashing on ice impacts many more people than just the driver and passengers. That is why people need to be told.....their actions impact many others. And in this case it can be little children.

glimmertwin

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 1:26 p.m.

"Sometimes people aren't wise..... and they need to be told what to do." I guess we have just become a nation of minions.

ummsw

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 12:01 p.m.

Thanks Cash, took the words out of my mouth..

5travellers

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 11:50 a.m.

I noticed last night neighborhood roads in Ann Arbor were slippery with the melting snow overflowing into the street. Although it didn't cross my mind about school closings, I think they made the right choice. As others pointed out, it's over 40 degrees. So, drivers aren't necessarily going to think about ice being on the roads which is when accidents are going to happen. They're certainly not going to please everyone when deciding whether or not to close school. Just as I thought Ann Arbor schools should have been closed on Friday. I certainly wouldn't want the job of deciding....always criticized either way.

Paula Gardner

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 11:46 a.m.

I'm hearing from some parents about the timing of the notification and the decision to close. It sounds like the "robocall" didn't reach some families til after 6:15 or so.

northlands_mom

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 5:46 p.m.

At least they got a call! We get nothing in the Chelsea School District. I didn't find out until I stepped outside with my bundled-up kids on the way to the bus stop at 7:30! I didn't think to check the cancellations online since roads were fine in my vicinity.

A2comments

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 4:50 p.m.

5:55 AM we got ours.

Jrileyhoff

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 1:46 p.m.

I got the call at 6:17, pretty late considering Skyline starts at 7:30. Luckily I had heard it on the radio about 5:30, so I crept into my kids' rooms & turned off their alarms.

Jared Mauch

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 11:45 a.m.

I'm grateful dexter waited until 6am to call this time. Btw: my guess is the roads that still had snow on them iced up nicely... Not everything melted yesterday...

Anonymom

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 11:41 a.m.

This seems like a poor decision since it is 43 degrees at 6:30am. Perhaps we need to look again at a two-hour delay. It is much more difficult and costly to miss an entire day of work and school than it is to arrange for a late start. That cost/benefit needs to be revisited.

sunny8223

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 4:27 p.m.

A 2 hour delay wouldn't make a difference on the gravel roads. I left for work 2 hours later than normal and I was driving 5mph on my road which was a sheet of ice. Not fun at all.

Cash

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 2:02 p.m.

What's the ground temp Anonymom and dancing? That's what most of us are driving on.

dancinginmysoul

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 12:28 p.m.

I agree. It's seems given the weather forecast a delay would have been more appropriate, less of a burden to parents, and less of a financial impact for everyone. Kids are getting a snow day with a balmy 43 degrees. How's that teaching responsibility?

DennisP

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 11:29 a.m.

40 degrees around here too. No freezing. I am totally surprised by this decision.

John Simon

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 11:03 p.m.

With the 30+ mph wind, the wind freezes the roads as it blows over water..

DennisP

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 6:30 p.m.

I just said I'm totally surprised by this decision. I didn't say it was outlandish or inappropriate. All the roads at 7 am or later that I passed were in great condition. I don't know about the gravel roads as I didn't pass them. I can believe that the schools have to make a decision and it's not always an easy one. I'm particularly surprised that the Ann Arbor schools felt the need to close because, I imagine, the majority of students live on paved roads in subdivisions. Perhaps, I'm wrong about that. But, it would seem odd to have to close all the schools in the district--especially the high schools.

harry b

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 6:03 p.m.

Cash Are you serious? I hope you were joking. I hope I don't have to explain to you how water freezes.

Cash

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 2 p.m.

40 F air temp. You don't drive on the air.

SuperiorMother

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 11:29 a.m.

FYI, the charter schools are not all closed. Might want to change " all other Washtenaw County schools " to "most other Washtenaw County schools." I doubt that most parents look to AnnArbor.com for school closings (since you don't run an official list), but I'd had for someone to see that and get their hopes up. ;)

jns131

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 7:21 p.m.

A vote up on charter schools. Mine went and then transferred to a public. No problems here. As for school closures? LOL It is a make up for not closing on Friday. Nice huh?

flyonthewall

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 4:44 p.m.

Very simple explanation as to why some charter school are open. They don't bus the kids to school like the public schools. I'm assuming the parents of the students made their own decision whether to drive the slick roads. Just because they are open doesn't mean the classrooms are full.

towncryer

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 3:48 p.m.

@ SuperiorMother...it's because you said the "C" word...taboo around these parts, lol

SuperiorMother

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 1:56 p.m.

Huh? Four votes down for my original comment?

SuperiorMother

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 11:51 a.m.

Oops, I see now that you said "most" in your reply to me.

SuperiorMother

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 11:50 a.m.

Paula, Fortis Academy and South Arbor Academy both indicate on their Facebook pages that they will be open today.

Paula Gardner

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 11:45 a.m.

Thanks! I did just update it, and it looks like most of the charters and religious schools were added to the list right around the time you posted this note.

Simon Green

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 11:25 a.m.

Ok, so where was the party last night? Must have been a good one to warrant canceling school for the whole district... Seriously, I would like to hear from anybody who can defend this decision.

Harm

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 8:41 p.m.

You are right, Mr. Green. Icy roads? definitely a hazard, IF YOU ARE DRIVING THE SPEED LIMIT! Slow down, and they are much less hazardous, and the schools can operate....We are raising a generation of helpless kids.

hockeymom

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 7:19 p.m.

Simon Green - Bring your ice skates to Warren Rd west of Earhart. And your helmet.

AfterDark

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 6:10 p.m.

Harry, the ice is on the still cold road surfaces, not up in the 42 degree air.

harry b

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 6 p.m.

It was 46 degree's at 6:00 am. Ice? In this world water freezes at 32.

music to my ear

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 4:33 p.m.

simonegreen listen to me the roads are icee

jcj

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 2:58 p.m.

Simon Read all the comments about how bad some roads are/were then come back and apologize please.

mike gatti

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 12:32 p.m.

We just need to trust our administrators to evaluate the information and make the most prudent decision possible.

Belgium

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 11:18 a.m.

I live on a rural road and it's 42 degrees, the roads are fine.

music to my ear

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 4:31 p.m.

my son could not even get his car in the driveway entrance it was a sheet of ice TOO dangerous for buses. its not in one place it is all over the back roads

jcj

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 3 p.m.

Being of Belgian decent myself, I hope you are big enough to read other comments and retract your statement.

Cash

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 1:59 p.m.

42 F is the AIR temperature. What's the ground temperature? People aren't driving on the air.

pb

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 12:43 p.m.

Ditto here - the schools have lost their ability to make reasonable judgments.

AfterDark

Mon, Feb 11, 2013 : 12:05 p.m.

Have you been out on it yet this morning? The dirt roads I drove today were sheets of ice. My car even slid backwards out of one person's unpaved, iced-over driveway.