A snow closing can be one of the most difficult decisions a school superintendent has to make. Get it right, and parents appreciate that their child is home safe on a stormy day. Get it wrong, and you risk upsetting every adult in the community.

“There are days when I decide to close and I think to myself, ‘Lisa, today you’re either going to be celebrated or ridiculed,’” said Superintendent Lisa Wiles. “But weather is not always predictable. Even the experts don’t always get it right.” Of course, there are times when the decision is easy to make. Dangerous storms, heavy snowfall, and severe weather can mean obvious school closures. But sometimes, a superintendent must make the decision before a single flake has fallen.

In Ellenville, the decision to close, delay opening, or dismiss early falls to Wiles, but before making that decision, she consults with various experts, including the Ellenville police chief; highway superintendents in Mamakating, Wawarsing, and Rochester; transportation directors for neighboring school districts; and the folks at Rolling V, the bus company that transports Ellenville students. Oftentimes, the decision to close or delay will be made by 5 AM.

Roads are not the only worry, Wiles noted. Hundreds of students walk to school, and still more are driven by their parents or caregivers. Sidewalk conditions and wind chill are factors that need to be considered, along with whether there is adequate time for snow removal to be completed. “The varying terrain and conditions within the Ellenville school district can also be misleading,” Wiles said. “Roads might look great in parts of the village, but might be covered in ice in areas of higher elevation.”

There are also times when, despite all the expert advice and weather forecasts, a predicted storm never hits or the skies clear just as a cancellation is announced. The criticism can be biting, and Wiles said she is acutely aware of the inconvenience parents face when they have to scramble for childcare. The worst, she added, is when the District uses more than the allocated days for emergency closings and the days need to be made up.

But criticism, inconvenience, or lost vacation time can’t be part of the decision making, Wiles said. She knows all too well how treacherous winter roads can become, and the safety risk is far too great. “I’d rather have to make up a snow day during the year than risk the well-being of a single child,” she said. “I can’t make the decision based on what it does to vacations or if closing school is inconvenient. The most important thing I take into consideration is safety.”