MPS takes a snow day in wake of record snowfall
A school bus was reportedly stuck in the snow overnight on 36th and Fremont Ave. N. Photo by Phillip Murphy
Students at Ascension School play in the snow on Monday afternoon, Jan. 22. The Catholic school students also had a snow day on Tuesday, Jan. 23. Photo by Theresa Culpert
By Cirien Saadeh | Staff Reporter
Minneapolis Public Schools will resume their regular schedules tomorrow, Jan. 24, after a tumultuous two days of weather.
The record snowfall on Jan. 22 that hit the Minneapolis-St. Paul area did not close Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) the day it happened. According to a social media post from MPS, the decision was made to not cancel classes out of respect for parents and families with specific childcare needs. But transportation difficulties brought on by the storm did shut down the district the following day.
A Facebook post from MPS on Monday evening reflects the struggle created by the day’s snowfall.
In response to the MPS closure on Jan. 23, a number of Minneapolis Parks & Recreation Board (MPRB) recreation centers, including Farview Park and Harrison Park, served snacks and/or meals provided by MPS.
Due to the closure, students at North High School and Patrick Henry High School will have adjusted finals schedule. Jan. 24 will be a regularly scheduled day at North High, with students taking all of their finals in one day. More information on Patrick Henry High School’s finals’ schedule can be found here.
The Jan. 22 decision to not cancel classes was met with a wide array of opinions. Many were worried about children being sent home to empty homes, while others worried about safety for parents and buses transporting students home.
“Thank you to everyone who stayed late, made sure kids on their way home, walked home with a child,” said MPS District 2 Director Felder in a Facebook post.
According to MPS, there are four criteria to consider in terms of a potential school or district closure: student and staff safety and wellbeing, weather severity, transportation safety, and weather timing.
Monday’s storm dropped over a foot of snow at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, according to Minnesota Public Radio Updraft, making it the 12th snowiest single day of snowfall on record for the city.