LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) – An entire week of classes have already been canceled in Jefferson County Public Schools due to snow and bitter cold temperatures. Many people have asked: how does the district decide whether there will be school?

Mike Raisor, chief operations officer with Jefferson County Public Schools, told WDRB News this week there is no “magic number” in determining whether officials will cancel school but that “student safety and welfare is our number one concern.”

“One of the first things we always assess is the road conditions,” Raisor said. “We really try to think of our kids who will be at the bus stops. If we are going to be running late, how long is a kid going to be at a bus stop?

“We look at the wind chill and sustained temperatures,” he said. “There is not a magic number, but if we are getting down to the minus 15 to minus 20 degree range (either in temperature or wind chill) that's when we really start paying attention because that is when the health department and the National Weather Service have advised it can be dangerous for children.”

Throughout the week, JCPS had 20 plows and three contractors clearing sites across the county, Raisor said.

They have also had supervisors out driving the roads to check on conditions, particularly on side streets and in subdivisons. 

On Wednesday, WDRB News rode along Cathy Hasken, one of about a dozen people who help decide whether JCPS' 101,000 students will go to school on bad weather days.

JCPS transports approximately 70,000 students on 978 buses daily. Those buses travel over 100,000 miles a day, said Rick Caple, director of transportation for JCPS.

JCPS buses don't have snow tires, Caple said, because the state mandates the kind of tires that buses must have and snow tires are not included in those regulations.

Raisor said members of his staff have also been out at the district's 155 schools, making sure that electricity is running and that there are no problems with the heating system.

“So far, we have not had any major problems with that,” he said.

During the 2013-14 year, JCPS had a record high 11 days canceled due to bad weather.

JCPS has already canceled six days this school year due to bad weather, with makeup days scheduled for Feb. 27, March 9, April 2, April 3, May 29 and June 1. 

The last day of school is now June 1. Here is a link to the JCPS calendar, which shows how snow days will be made up.

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Reporter Antoinette Konz can be reached at 502-585-0838 or @tkonz on Twitter.

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