CORVALLIS – It didn’t take long for Bitterroot school leaders to decide to close classes early Wednesday, as the valley gets pounded with another round of heavy snow.
It wasn’t long after students settled into class Wednesday morning that it became apparent they’d better go home early.
When the National Weather Service called to warn schools districts across the Bitterroot of another round of heavy snow with the potential for several inches falling in a matter of hours, school leaders were quick to respond.
In Corvallis, where there’s already two feet of snow, buses were summoned, parents were notified, and by 1 p.m. students were being sent home.
“So our goal is Number 1 school safety, making sure kids get to and from school safely,” said Corvallis School Superintendent Tim Johnson. “With the conditions that are out here, compounded by the fact of the roads prior to school starting today, it’s one of those days where we need to get kids home. Soon.”
While the main problem Wednesday was getting students home, with buses and parents struggling on the roads and streets, Corvallis and the other districts are already having issues just keeping up with snow removal and storage around the buildings and parking lots. And that problem is continuing to grow.
