BILLINGS – Amid persistent snowfall over the last two weeks, all Billings public schools remained open on Monday, generating a mix of reactions from parents and students.
Superintendent Erwin Garcia said that despite more snow and cold temperatures in the forecast, there is no plan to close for snow this entire week.
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Garcia said the decision to keep schools open was made with help from the National Weather Service. He emphasized the importance of maintaining educational continuity.
“When we make decisions for the school, we’re thinking about the 16,500 students, and about 80 percent of them will be able to safely go to school,” Garcia said.
At student pickup on Monday at Broadwater Elementary, some parents voiced their concerns.
“I would much rather add an additional day at the end of the year than have to deal with this,” said one concerned parent, Stephanie Vaughn. "It's dangerous to drive in this."
In contrast, others, such as Kenny Siers, appreciated the school’s decision to remain open.
“When they’re supposed to be in school and then you have them all day, it kind of gets hectic,” said Siers. "So, it's good that they were able to stay in school today and be with their friends while learning."
Another parent, Julie Zeiler, was ambivalent to whether Monday schools should have been canceled, noting that it's simply part of living in Montana.
“We live in Montana," Zeiler said with a laugh. "It's always kind of planning and having to make do with the weather. It’s nice when we can have a snow day, but if it doesn’t work out, we have to figure out how we get by."
Garcia explained that canceling school is not a decision taken lightly, and he often focuses on one major question.
“How is this day, a potential snow day, different from a typical Montana day?” Garcia asked.
Garcia said that when school is canceled, like it was two weeks ago, it's due to many different factors: temperature, precipitation, road conditions, wind chill, etc. He said ideally, the call will be made by 9 p.m. the night before, but that isn't always the case.
"We want to make sure that your child is safe, but at the same time, we want to maintain our commitment to educate, inspire, and empower our students," Garcia said.
Garcia confirmed that, barring any drastic changes in weather conditions, schools in Billings will continue to operate throughout the week, with his current weather report showing "moderate" levels through Wednesday.
As the community navigates the challenges of winter weather, opinions will vary.
"People are going to have opinions no matter what, so it comes down to safety," Zieler said.
