Why I Won’t Send My Kids To Twin Falls Schools on Friday (OPINION)

In case you haven't heard, Twin Falls schools will be in session on Friday, January 6. My wife and I won't be sending our kids and this is why.

First of all, I want to be as clear as possible that I don't intend this to be some anti-TFSD rant. Being a school administrator has to be one of the toughest jobs ever.

Before I give my reasons for keeping my kids home, here's the statement from the school district in its entirety from their website. It's only fair that I share this before airing my opinion.

The TFSD #411 plans to have all schools open Friday, January 6. If conditions change, parents and staff will be notified using the emergency notification system (email, call, text). Information will also be posted on the TFSD #411 website and distributed to local media outlets.

Temperatures will be lower than normal for this time of year so parents are asked to dress their students warmly. In addition, our goal is to have all bus routes running as normal but with snowy conditions, there is a possibility that routes will be slower than usual.

In addition, the decision to send students to school is ultimately that of the parents. If you choose to keep your student home due to weather and road conditions, we ask that you communicate with your school’s front office tomorrow morning.

I want to focus on that last part "the decision to send students to school is ultimately that of the parents". I agree and my wife and I will not be sending our kids. Here's the reason (thanks to the NWS Boise Facebook page)

If you can't see the tiny numbers, I'll save you some squinting. Wind chill values Friday morning are expected to be in the neighborhood of -28. Yes, 28 degrees BELOW zero. Plus, it's gonna be windy.

If you're still on the fence about sending your kids, I would read this article about how fast frostbite can occur from Business Insider. If for any reason your kids end up having to be outside for any extended period of time, it gets dangerous fast.

The other X factor on Friday is the condition of roads. Yes, the road crews in our area did an amazing job getting our streets and avenues as safe as possible. But, with temps as cold as they are tonight and Friday, there's no way for there not to be significant super slick spots.

This may sound sarcastic, but I do appreciate the Twin Falls School District does everything it can to keep schools in session. But, since they've given my wife and I the choice, we're going to use it. I genuinely appreciate their statement that parents should have the right to decide. As for us, it's just not worth the risk.