A Message From The Superintendent

Mr. James E. Richmond

Students are back in school after a week of closings due to the heavy snowfall in Charles County. So far, Charles County Public Schools has been closed seven days for weather-related reasons, and winter is not over.

We opened two-hours late on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2010 so the first buses, drivers and walkers were making their journey back to school in daylight. All of our closing and delay decisions are made with much research, thought and deliberation and with the safety of our students and staff in the forefront. We are pleased students are back in classrooms today so that we can continue with our primary goal of education. On Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2010 schools will open one hour late.

We did not make the decision to reopen on Tuesday, Feb. 16 lightly, and we ask for your help and cooperation. Our snow plowers and building service staff have done a good job of clearing our parking lots, sidewalks and pathways to relocatable classrooms. However, large piles of snow remain on school sites, limiting parking and visibility. Please use caution when driving on school property, near bus stops and in neighborhoods where children walk to school. Please shovel out any sidewalks or bus stops in your communities to ensure student safety off school grounds.

Last week, roofs at all schools and centers were checked and building service staffs at each site routinely check for leaks and cracks. The snow did not cause structural damage to any of our schools.

The Parent Handbook/Calendar states the school closing procedures and how emergency closings affect the school calendar. This information can be found on page 10. Four days were built into the calendar and the other three days will be made up on March 29, 30 and 31. If we have additional days, we will use April 1. The state may grant a waiver for some days missed because the governor declared a state of emergency, but that has not yet occurred. We are waiting for this information before developing final plans. Based on the weather patterns this winter, I am not certain that we have seen the last snowfall or school closing for this school year. We will continue to update parents as more information becomes available.