Auburn Superintendent breaks down what goes into deciding on schools closing

Syracuse, N.Y. — For students, it's always a good feeling to know there is no need to wake up early for school, and for teachers who get an extra day off of work.

The Auburn schools superintendent explained what goes into the decision to close.

“My main concern is making sure that our kids are safe,” said Superintendent Jeffrey Pirozzolo. “And exposure to those freezing temperatures. It’s not good for any student. We have about 1,500 kids that walk to school and about 1,500 that sit at bus stops, so if you’re walking two miles to school or sitting at a bus stop for 15 minutes to 30 minutes, that’s when frostbite can occur, so we have to take that into account.”

While Central New York may not be expecting the typical snow storm this weekend, wind chill warnings show temperatures could feel anywhere between -10 to -30 degrees.

Superintendent Pirozzolo said his decision to close schools Friday, Feb.3, was a no brainer.

“We like to have conversations with our city when it comes to plowing streets and our director of facilities,” he said. “There’s a lot of correspondence that goes out to help us with the decision but again with extreme cold, it’s a pretty easy decision compared to conditions of the roads and those type of things.”

In Syracuse alone, our meteorologists have warned neighbors that possible frostbite on exposed skin could occur in a matter of minutes.

With a dangerous cold overtaking all of Central New York, the decision to close school is seen by superintendents as necessary, but so is getting the word out as soon as possible.

“Making that decision the day before, also helps our families set up daycare for the next day,” said Pirozzolo.

Every superintendent is aware these decisions will bring concerns about childcare for the day, but believe the decision to close schools is ultimately the safest decision for everyone.