What does it take to declare a Snow Day? To cancel school, it’s not as simple as “there’s snow falling so let’s cancel classes!” Instead, a Snow Day is declared because there is an inability for the school’s buses to safely drive their route or to have kids walk to school. For the amount of snow, five to six inches of the “white stuff” is the sweet spot, but it also depends on the logistics of cleanup.

For some schools, it can immediately depend on the weather and not just the amount of snow. For Ann Arbor Public Schools, the windchill being twenty below zero is enough to call a “Snow Day.” 

However, Hudsonville Public’s superintendent Dr. VanderJagt said that he considers several factors: road conditions, the amount and type of snow, visibility, wind chill, and whether local authorities have issued warnings or advisories. The conditions of sidewalks and parking lots at the building are also taken into assessment to ensure safety for walkers and drivers.

Most schools coordinate with each other when it comes to calling a Snow Day because no one school wants to be the only to have a day off; however, the true decision maker is the Superintendent and declaring a snow day is a serious task. 

VanderJagt said, “While I do coordinate with surrounding districts, each community’s situation can differ, so my decision is based on the unique circumstances in Hudsonville.” He also explained that he takes the situation very seriously because “it impacts students, staff, and families in many ways.” Safety is one of his top priorities but he also takes into consideration the disruption of learning and the challenges families face in adjusting their daily schedules. 

Under Michigan state law, schools must provide 180 days of instruction or they are at risk of losing state aid funding. So, state law allows school districts six days or the equivalent number of hours for what the state calls “forgiven time.”

Since schools are only given six forgiven days, it becomes difficult to decide if it’s worth giving the day of academics up. No human can predict the future, so declaring a snow day for a day with little to no snow might mean having school on a day with troubling conditions. Along with this comes the phrase “We should’ve had a Snow Day.” 

According to SpectrumNews1, there are some snow day rituals students can take part in to make a Snow Day happen. Some of the most famous and superstitious ones are flushing an ice cube down the toilet, wearing pajamas inside out, and putting a spoon underneath one’s pillow. 

Although many want to believe these will work, it is truly up to the Superintendent and their thoughts of the situation, weather, and priorities. All in all, many factors are taken into consideration when it comes to calling a Snow Day.