Greetings to all! I just wanted to share a few details of the process that went into cancelling school today. I felt called to share because it is currently a pretty beautiful day!!

All of the forecasts called for the rain and foul weather to begin between 6-7am. I need to make a decision pretty close to 6am to let the bus drivers know if they will be driving their route. So I was experiencing great road conditions when this decision was needed, but everything pointed to deterioration of the weather conditions.

I joined a conference call from the National Weather Service at 5:45, and spoke with an employee with the ND DOT at 5:55. The NWS declared certainty of the incoming freezing rain and high winds, and the DOT employee said the roads stamped “no travel advised” are increasing and moving our direction.

A 2-hour late start was considered to allow us to see how the conditions would develop. The certainty of the bad forecast and the fact that students would already be underway with virtual learning led to not choosing this option.

I understand that school being cancelled can place many parents in a difficult situation. Having a job that you must report to presents a problem if you have young children. For those that were inconvenienced, please accept my apology and know that the section was made with the safety of students in mind. Some days the decision seems obvious and it is a very difficult decision other days.

Mr Ringstad ... See MoreSee Less