Keeping schools open put Richland students’ safety at risk, say critics

Richland school officials were getting lambasted on social media Thursday after the district kept schools open despite icy road conditions.

One critic even started a Change.org petition online calling for the firing of the superintendent.

Many other districts in the area, including Kennewick and Pasco, erred on the side of caution and closed schools Thursday for yet another snow day. The seventh this year.

Richland schools opened two hours late instead.

“Really RSD?” Tara Russell posted on the school district’s Facebook site. “Just because GWAY may be OK doesn’t mean all of the district’s roads are safe to travel.”

There is a simple reason why Richland schools are open: The district’s staff felt it was safe, said Ty Beaver, the district’s communication director.

To evaluate the road conditions, school transportation employees drive around on a variety of streets throughout the district starting at 3 a.m., he said.

“We acknowledge that there are parts of our district that might have worse conditions,” he said.

They also consult with maintenance and grounds staff to make sure that sidewalks and parking lots are cleared and safe for students, along with considering weather forecasts, before making a decision.

Parents can keep students home if they don’t think it’s safe for them to go to school, he said. As long as the student has a note to explain it, it will be treated as an excused absence.

While some of the 450 comments and replies on the district’s Facebook page supported the decision, the replies to the district’s tweet on Twitter were entirely negative.

They included one teen who wondered if the district would pay to fix his car after he crashed it on his way to school.

Others noted that police agencies were warning people to be careful. They pointed out a West Richland police report that described the roads as treacherous.

The same post also cautioned people to drive carefully, a point that Beaver highlighted, saying the two-hour delay shouldn’t stop people from driving carefully.

Some people came up with theories about why the district would need to have classes, including saying officials were looking to avoid more snow days.

Beaver said the decision was purely based on whether it was safe for students and staff to get to the schools.

This story was originally published February 28, 2019 at 12:47 PM.