Montgomery County Public Schools is getting backlash from parents and students after choosing not to delay classes Wednesday morning during a snowy commute that some are calling one of the worst ever.
The snowfall peaked while many people were heading into work or school.
“There were accidents on every major road – on Old Georgetown, on Rockville Pike – so, yes, it was disaster,” parent Jill Gendelman said.
“It was definitely dicey coming in,” said parent Kirk Jackson. “Roads were very slippery, and I really expected them to open two hours late. I was very surprised.”
School officials across the region were faced with the same problem.
“The challenge would have been with a two-hour delay is we would have thrown the buses out right at the height of the problems,” explained Dana Tofig of MCPS. “And there wasn’t enough snow for a cancellation. We also balance that with the idea that we want our kids in school.”
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Most school districts like to make decisions about closings or delays before 5 a.m. By that time, the snow hadn’t started to fall.
“It started a 6:30, so I guess the schools did the best they could,” Gendelman said. “So I’m not angry about it, but it was a disaster.”
Students took to Twitter to sound off.
“People express themselves on Twitter in a lot of different ways,” Tofig said. “We did hear from some parents and heard from students. Parents are concerned about student safety, and so are we.”
