“Better safe than sorry” — local superintendent discusses decision to cancel 1st day of school

LEXINGTON, SC (WOLO) — School was back in session for many students across the Midlands, until Tropical Storm Debby disrupted the start of a brand new year.

And for some districts like Lexington-Richland School District Five, today would have marked the kids’ return to the classroom.

The district’s superintendent, Dr. Akil Ross, explains the decision making process.

“So the process is really about collaboration. We want to get as much information and give as much information as fast as possible. The constraints that you have is that you’re not 100% sure of what will happen until the event,” he says.

Decisions begin with The National Weather Service briefing the County Emergency Management Team, who then updates the school districts.

From there, principals are notified as quickly as possible so that a decision regarding the following day of school can be made known to parents by noon.

Dr. Ross reiterated that the safety of students and staff remains the top priority.

“In this event, there was a high degree to severe (chance) of flooding. That was our concern, and we did not want our buses and drivers out in those conditions. Overnight, those conditions changed, but we live with our decision. Always in the best interest of safety. I’d rather be in the situation, better safe than sorry, than chance it, and have an incident,” Ross says.

Instructional minutes and make up days are considered, as well as a slew of transportation concerns including safety issues around buses making it to students who live on roads with high potential for flooding, or dirt roads.

“And seeing as you’re getting real time information from The National Weather Service, County Emergency Management, all to make sure you can get 17,400 students to a campus and back home safely,” he says.

Several students notified Dr. Ross to let him know they’re excited for their 1st day, saying, “It was the notes that I received from parents and students that said ‘We wanted today, we were ready for the 1st day, we have to wait one more day for that,’ But we’re excited to receive them tomorrow with all those smiles, and better conditions for our opening of school.”