When Making Up a Snow Day Back Fires

The Warren, PA Central School district may have a small p.r. problem on their hands. Fast and furious discussion on one of our local radio morning shows tipped me off about this item. It seems that to make up for a snow day earlier this winter season, the districted opted to have students make up the day yesterday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Now it isn't uncommon for a school district to take away a holiday in order to make up a snow day, but there are a couple issues for Warren Central Schools here:

1. The District could have canceled the Teacher In-Service day the Friday leading into the holiday weekend.

2. Warren County already has a problem with being viewed as non-discriminatory since the KKK did hold a rally in the city of Warren within the past five years. I cannot confirm this, but I also hear they do have a local branch of the KKK in Warren, PA.

Now, I'm not an expert in school administration, but from a public relations standpoint, I think there are ways to overcome this in future years. A superintendent of a school district anywhere in Western New York, or an area that often receives significant snow fall, should be proactive about snow days. Instead of hoping the weather won't suck and, therefore, not planning any snow days for the school year, you can do what one Rochester-area school district did this year. They started early. I believe that the West Irondequoit School district (my alma mater *ahem*) has had at least one snow day this school year, but now they don't have to worry about making it up. In fact, if they stay snow-day free for the rest of the year, students will get to get out early.