Snow flurries. Roads are slick with ice. Visibility is hazy. The textbook criteria for a delay, if not a snow day.  

Apparently not.

This morning, Wednesday, February 25th, as temperatures fell below freezing, students curled up in bed, awaiting the email from administration announcing that school’s start would be delayed by two hours. 

The snow continued to fall. The roads were left glassy. An entire lane of Post Road was covered in sleet. Yet the minutes ticked by—no email, no announcement. 6:00AM. 6:30AM. 7:00AM… Still nothing.

“I kept waiting for them to announce the delay,” Ella Kim ’27 shared. “It was still snowing, and the roads didn’t feel safe. I couldn’t really see the roads under all the snow.” Many students shared similar sentiments, feeling that it was risky for them to go to school with black ice covering the roads. 

The Greensburg Central School District issued a three hour delay. The Harvey School canceled classes for the day. Schools around the state issued warnings and cautions. Yet, even when other schools in the Tri-State Area announced their delays and cancellations, many major districts, such as Scarsdale, Port Chester, and Pleasantville, remained silent. 

Moreover, some students were forced to wait outside, since buses were delayed due to weather. Although a message was sent at 7:30AM, explaining that students should “be patient and remain safe throughout the morning,” and that “buses will roll but maybe late to certain bus stops,” it came too late for many students. 

“I got to the bus stop at 7:10. I waited and waited, my hair covered in snow. I felt like I missed an email or something. My bus was 20 minutes late, and I only got the email at 7:30, when my bus ended up coming” Mia Wilson ’28 explained. While students expected the buses to be delayed, they were confused, as they were not earlier notified. 

Some students had no buses at all. All Scarsdale Middle School private buses were canceled due to the bus company’s decision to withdraw from service this morning due to unsafe roads and conditions. “I had to drive students myself to ensure they got to school,” Radhika Dewan, coordinator of middle school private buses in Quaker Ridge, shared. 

Staff was likewise affected. SHS Principal Bonamo dealt with his own calamities this morning. “I almost got into an accident,” he said. “I was going downhill and there was a bus in front of me, and my brakes weren’t working. Luckily, I was able to switch lanes, but it was very frightening.”

Others weren’t able to make it to school at all. “Our babysitter could not come because of the road closures,” SHS Mandarin teacher Wenhui Guo explained. “I had to drive my kids to school, but there were so many accidents on the roads causing delays.” Guo was forced to cancel her morning classes due to the extenuating circumstances. 

Still, students were provided the cushion of not being penalized for arriving tardy. In the email sent by Superintendent Drew Patrick, students were urged to “take as much time as [they needed] to travel safely to school.” Students traveling in hazardous conditions were reassured by the message.

Patrick began planning for the potential delay early. “I met on Zoom with area Superintendents at 4:30 AM to pool the respective information we had gathered and to discuss our respective plans” Patrick said. Ultimately, with an understanding that the buildings were ready for the conditions, and custodians deployed to school parking lots, Patrick decided not to issue a delay. With the information he had at hand, it seemed to be the right decision.

Still, as conditions worsened, Patrick realized that this may not have been the right call, leading him to eventually issue the notice urging students and faculty to take their time getting to school. “In hindsight, a two-hour delay was likely called for…[I] will reflect on today’s decision to help inform future decisions” he explained. 

Late this afternoon, Patrick sent an additional email, apologizing for the delayed bus routes, and thanking everyone for their “patience and understanding regarding this morning’s weather.” He acknowledged the phenomenal work of the custodial staff, as well as the PTA. He also discussed what the future of snow days would look like at Scarsdale. He explained that there would be “room” for two more school closures before days of spring break would have to be exchanged for instructional days; this comes from the New York State requirement to have a minimum of 180 days of session, inclusive of up to four superintendent conference days. Patrick also explained that if a school closure becomes necessary after spring break, a remote learning day will be implemented.

This morning’s debacle has left many wondering why a delay was not issued. Primarily, it can be explained by the unpredictability of the weather and the fluctuating conditions. “A delay has to be issued several hours before the school day begins. By the time we realized the severity of conditions this morning, it was too late,” Bonamo said. Many students and staff had already begun making their way to school. Patrick made his decision based on the preliminary information he had early this morning.

With the coming weeks full of more snow predictions and cold temperatures, it will be interesting to see how delays and snow days are—or aren’t—issued. As winter continues, today’s decision may shape how future mornings unfold.