Name:	Lifer -	Reply
Subject:	School closings
Date:	1/5/2017 4:51:57 PM

The Alex City schools just went back today and decide to take another half day tomorrow. This is one reason I think many folks are fed up with the education system we have today.  There is no chance of ANY winter weather, besides a cold rain, until around midnight tomorrow night but they use the excuse of threat of winter weather to close early.  By staying till 11:30 they still get paid the state money for the day but go home and have another long weekend to enjoy. Meanwhile parents have to scramble to arrange child care for the younger ones. It is ridiculous to me that they close because there is abiut a 30% chance we may get a little snow 12 hours AFTER they go home. Maybe it's just me though and I bet the other government offices will be doing the same I just haven't seen that announcement yet.

Name:	wix -	Reply
Subject:	School closings
Date:	1/5/2017 4:55:16 PM

I agree.  Most interesting is you've been flagged for the comment......must be an AEA UNION member.

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	School closings
Date:	1/5/2017 5:48:27 PM

This is nothing compared to what we had in VA.  If they even talked about the possibility of snow, they immediately closed all the schools. This left employees scrambling for child care, because the federal government rarely ever closes, but does something called "unscheduled leave" which means supervisors must approve leave for anyone that doesn't show up. I've had people have to bring their kids to work with them, if they had a meeting or something that had to be done. The argument in VA was that a lot of the roads were hilly and they didn't want to risk putting the busses on the road. 

But in this case, I think that you are correct.  Nothing is supposed to happen until after bedtime on Friday night.  I'm guessing that Alabama has so many "bad weather" days to use in a school year, and so they are going to make sure they get used. 

I feel a little sorry for the kids here.  They get so excited about such a small amount of snow, and they never get the chance to make a proper snowman or the thrill of hopping on a sled to sliding down a big hill.  (and those adults who wish for snow, the chance to reshovel the 4 feet of snow off the end of the driveway after the snow plow goes through).

Name:	Lifer -	Reply
Subject:	School closings
Date:	1/5/2017 6:18:06 PM

You are correct that a certain number of weather days are built into the schedule.  That is not what tomorrow will use. If they stay 3 hours they get credit for a full day with the state paying them for a full day. That is how the school system is set up.  The state pays a per day rate to local boards.  If they have something happen and close after a couple of hours they loose the state money for the whole day. It is an outdated archaic method,  but it is the way the system is set up.  Weather days are not compensated it just schedule padding. They used to just end the year early if the days weren't used.  Most systems schedule 3 per year, but it would make no sense to use one in this instance because we are just entering the winter weather season. Now most systems will just cancel a day or two toward the end of the year if their weather days have not been used. The state only pays for a certain number of days so you can bet your bottom dollar they work exactly that number of days. I'm not saying anybody should ever work and not get paid.  I am talking about the way the state pays the boards basically as a per dium.

Sadly now cooperate America has succumbed to pressure to appease the masses. Russell is talking shutting down at lunch tomorrow. They will make the decision in the morning and since that decision is made by salaried employees my guess is they will.  The hourly folks will just loose time that most can't really afford to loose.

Name:	Lifer -	Reply
Subject:	School closings
Date:	1/5/2017 6:19:58 PM

Yes I'm sure it was a teacher but I get flagged so much I don't even notice it anymore.

Name:	Lifer -	Reply
Subject:	To further illustrate the point
Date:	1/5/2017 7:09:20 PM

Since the state pays per drum consider the money saved by a system paid for a full day but only performing half a day. Lunches won't be served so the food costs and labor for the day are saved. Hourly employees aren't paid for time lost and utility costs are decreased. Saving money is a good thing when it is then used to benefit the students or the taxpayers but I have never seen or heard of any benefit to either from the savings incurred. I am certain some will argue I am crazy and don't know what I am talking about. None of them will be brave enough to open a debate with me o  the merits of my statements though. I challenge anyone to try.  After all if it was flagged someone disagrees. Dispute my facts in a public post.  I dare you. But I am sure you are a sniveling cowardly snowflake liberal and won't try to prove me wrong.

I DON'T ALWAYS GET CALLED A SEXIST RACIST BIGOT, BUT WHEN I DO I KNOW I'VE JUST WON AN ARGUMENT WITH A LIBERAL.

Name:	GoneFishin -	Reply
Subject:	School closings
Date:	1/5/2017 7:39:41 PM (updated 1/5/2017 8:07:31 PM)

You make some good points.

Here is the report they are woking with...I served on a school board in New Jersey and school cosings are never an easy decision. If you close on a report and no bad weather, you are stupid. If you don't close and accdents occur with the buses, you are stupid. We used to pray that the snow fell at night so we could decide before school opened.

Name:	Lifer -	Reply
Subject:	School closings
Date:	1/5/2017 8:28:18 PM

Just what I did and look at the hour by hour for cast for Jackson's Gap and see that the only period of winter mix is midnight til 2am Saturday and only 30% chance then.  The modeling also showed it starting in the north and working southward with Alex City being the very edge of the accumulation line, but it can't accumulate until it falls, which once again is not expected to well into the overnight period. I have seen basically the same for cast from a couple of different sources over the last two days. I haven't looked since mid afternoon however so if it has changed drastically then just consider me an idiot and love on.  But let me point out the decision to close was made before lunch when no detailed local forecast was calling for anything but rain and Temps well above freezing all day long. It's so easy to hide ill informed and poor decision making when one can claim it about the safety of "the children". Bullsh!t . it's about any excuse to not have to work by gubmit union employees. If the "danger"  starts at 6am as per your post why wouldn't you cancel the entire day? Because you only get the state per drum if you keep the children past 11, that's why!  So got any more questions?

Name:	HARRY -	Reply
Subject:	Gone Fishin
Date:	1/5/2017 9:02:55 PM

I felt compelled to say that for once I agree with you 100%.

Name:	Lifer -	Reply
Subject:	Gone Fishin
Date:	1/5/2017 10:05:53 PM (updated 1/5/2017 10:15:01 PM)

Then you answer the question. The warning starts at 6am so why send the little darlings to school if a warning makes it dangerous? How is more dangerous at 11am than it is at 6am? If it is safe enough during those hours of warning what makes it more unsafe between 11 and 3pm when the hour by hour for cast is virtually identical? I realize that's several questions but I look forward to your answers.

If it's about the safety of the children how is the same weather more dangerous at 3 than at 11 or vice  versa? I realty need to know the logic behind your thinking. If you believe it then convince me I'm wrong or just ignore it and show by silence that I am correct. If you can back it up with facts, logic and reason I am excited to hear it.

Name:	HARRY -	Reply
Subject:	Gone Fishin
Date:	1/5/2017 10:20:29 PM

Damn son you need to chill out and enjoy the snow.

Name:	Lifer -	Reply
Subject:	Gone Fishin
Date:	1/5/2017 10:40:00 PM

I am very chill and the whole point is there is jot going to be any snow in the lake Martin area to enjoy, or kill the children,  until most likely Saturday if it all. So you nor goofy will even try to buttress your position.  Of course your position defies logic so it is exactly what I expected. I will repeat myself, if being under warning conditions is the rationale for releasing them at 11 one should not have assembled them at 8 when the warning condition started at 6.just admit you were  wrong and enjoy the rain my friend. I'm not angry, but I am right.

Name:	lucky67 -	Reply
Subject:	School closings
Date:	1/6/2017 9:41:06 AM

NEWSFLASH; BENTLEY declares national emergency--all of State CLOSED--expecting 1/8" of POSSIBLE snow; ALSO, all BINGO machines being confiscated due to citizens having too much fun

Name:	Rich -	Reply
Subject:	To further illustrate the point
Date:	1/6/2017 10:04:24 AM

I will apologize in advance for stealing your by-line. Can't help myself it is so familiar. 

Name:	Lifer -	Reply
Subject:	School closings
Date:	1/6/2017 10:19:20 AM

Just checked the hour by hour and they have now taken the slight chance of snow between midnight and 2am completely out of the forecast. Now showing a small chance of a wintry mix around midnight just as the freezing Temps arrive. So naturally we should shut the entire state down right away. Closing everything when winter weather is possible has gotten out of control. Every year the panic over the slightest of threats gets worse. It's understandable if there is a chance of accumulation, but there is ZERO chance of anything but a cold rain in Tallapoosa County with this system. Yesterday when the closing were announced the only chance was for after midnight tonight. If there were no financial impact to taxpayers I could care less but it does cost millions in lost productivity alone. Just one of untold number of ways taxpayers get screwed. Nobody seems to care but me. It's just indicative of how wussified this country has become.

Name:	Talullahhound -	Reply
Subject:	School closings
Date:	1/6/2017 12:19:08 PM

Not arguing against your point, but maybe they are afraid of lawsuits, particularly since Alabama has no vehicle inspections.  Worn tires on a slick road are a recipe for disaster.   If I wanted to be gracious, I would think that the half time closing is for parents to arrange for child care in the afternoon.  But sadly, you are probably right that it is all about the Benjamins. 

When I was growing up in NJ, snow was pretty much a normal thing. So we only got snow days when it was really bad or it involved ice.  Back then, you had something called a snow suit which was had heavy lined overalls (but not denim, usually wool) that went with your coat, rubber boots, a hat, a scarf and gloves.  You had so much padding, you couldn't feel the cold. And we went to school like that every day.  (obviously, this was before the advent of gortex, down coats, etc).

When I spent the month of December in Apple Valley MN, around 2004, the snow was piled high, the temps were hovering about -29, and everyone went about their business like it was the middle of summer.

Name:	HARRY -	Reply
Subject:	Sorry dude
Date:	1/6/2017 12:45:57 PM

but you sound a little mad to me.

Name:	Lifer -	Reply
Subject:	Sorry dude
Date:	1/6/2017 2:05:04 PM

That's OK, you sound a lot stupid to me, biggest difference is I am correct.

Name:	Lifer -	Reply
Subject:	School closings
Date:	1/6/2017 2:12:07 PM

Spent a couple of weeks in a little town called Fife Lake Michigan. Left here it was 25 degrees.  Got there a day and a half later in the late evening and it was 25 degrees. I made the comment I thought it got cold up here and was laughed at.  The next morning it was 30 below zero with over two feet of fresh snow.  Never got above - 25 for the remainder of my stay and like you said,  daily life goes on.

Name:	realfast64 -	Reply
Subject:	School closings
Date:	1/6/2017 8:20:40 PM

Coosa Co. Supt. are advised whether or not to close school  by the local EMA.

Name:	Lifer -	Reply
Subject:	First post
Date:	1/7/2017 11:22:48 AM

And you use it to attack poor little Ole me. I am so honored that I could move you to take action. I must be doing something right. My life is quite happy thank you very much. I don't troll any forums.  I do stir the puddin on this one though. It's fun and hurts no one.  Might I suggest in the future you add something to the conversation  though instead of just bashing me. There are a lot of good folks who follow the forum. Many of them enjoy my puddin stirring but others like you think I am deplorable and should be banned and some even think I should be executed.  You aren't even the first to join and use your first post to make a snide remark abiut me, just the latest. I will try to live down to your expectations. It's kinda cool today so I o ly have one small chore and will keep posting just for you enjoyment.

Welcome to the forum. I will email you details about my fan club membership. :-)

Name:	Lifer -	Reply
Subject:	How dissapointing
Date:	1/7/2017 11:25:54 AM

You decided not to stick around. Dang. I'm will miss you.... Lol