The sun came out Sunday and Harford County started digging itself out of the historic snowfall, but lingering snow and ice have closed Harford County Public Schools on Monday and forced the county government to open late.
Harford County schools will be closed on Monday, December 21 with employees operating under a CODE BLUE.
Harford County Government will open at 10am Monday, December 21.
A smart call done early, which is something new. But why is the superintendant paying private contractors top dollar to clear school parking lots?I thought their was a budget crunch?
COuld have sworn private contractors did the snow removal before.
Are you saying private ccontractors cost more then govt. workers?
would be nice if HCPS would extend the same courtesy as Harf Co. Gov’t to it’s employees – Harf Co. Gov’t offices – open at 10am – HCPS offices – employees report on time!
You statement is laughable at best..and I completely agree with you…HCPS does not care about any of its employees…and it is such a shame too…..
Thought it was Harford Co who dis the plowing and treating of the schools, and the custodial staff to clear sidewalks and walkways. So yes I would think it would be more expensive to hire contractors that letting the county handle it.
I do t get HCPS not waiting till ten foe employees, doesn’t make sense.
So if it is more expensive to hire private contractors why do we hire private contractors for buses? or other govt. expenses?
In June, during the budget cut season, people were saying that the county should get rid of the “shovel-leaners” in the public works department and hire contractors on an as-needed basis. Well, maybe they did.
Regarding snow removal and the reason schools were closed today, the following is from Teri Kranefeld, manager of communications for HCPS:
Harford County Public Schools grounds crews plow school parking lots. They worked all weekend long and got them cleared. The condition of the roads (especially side streets) and the fact that most of the bus stops were snow covered and the buses couldn’t get to them were the causes of the school closure.
Schools are now closed on tuesday as well!!!!
That’s all fine and dandy for today but closing again tomorow? Maryland needs to cowboy up and toughen up. If the buses can’t run put your kids in the car and take them to school yourself (and yes, I have a child)I don’t get a day off of work because it snowed.lol. Way to go HCPS preparing these kids for the real world.
Tracey, I am thankful that HCPS made the decision to close schools again today. Most of the side walks have not been shoveled. It make’s it very dangerous for the kids to have to walk in the road to get to their bus stop. I think these home owners should be made to clean off the walks. The city of Havre de Grace has an ordinance in place that says all walks must be clean 24 hours after the snow. Like I said I’m all for the kids getting back to school but only if it is safe for them to do so. If the city of Havre de Grace would starts giving out fines to these people not cleaning the walks, we may be able to make up some of its money problems.
tracey sounds like you are onr of those parents who use school as free daycare, Do you also send them to school with 102 fever and get mad when the nurse calls you to pick them up. Get a clue there are other children involved besides your own. What about the parents who leave for work early and the children walk to school or if they are not as lucky as we and do not own a car or even the ever growing elderly grandparent helping out with the childcare I know I wouldn’t want my children or parents trudging through snow or over ice just to get to school. You really should have a back-up plan for when school needs to be closed. I guess your way of preparing them for the real world is having them slip on the ice and lay there bleeding for a-while yes I guess that would toughen them up up huh!!!
Sorry Tracey, there is no real world left. It has been stolen and resold by the powers that be. Your kids have nothing to worry about. Cradle to grave care is what we have coming.
Tracy this is’nt the early 1960’s. the closest thing to air conditioning was open window. walking a 1/4 mile to school bus stop was not uncommon.
The principal still had authority, to warm your fanny. if you became unruly.Toilet paper was un heard of. the sears & roebuck catalog was available. the aegis has stepped up too fill that need.
But all in all I agree with you.
There are alot of roads in the northern end of the county that are still a mess and have hardly been touched. I think they would prefer to close schools than have 1 school bus wreck and then the county and school system sued. I am glad to have the extra day with my girls, they grow up too quick.
Hell, even in the southern end there are a lot of neighborhoods still in bad shape. For the most part the main roads are fine, but get off the the main and secondary roads and it’s a crap shoot.
I didn’t grow up around here, but we had emergency school bus stops for stuff like this so that even if most of a neighborhood was in bad shape they would still have school. We had to walk a bit to get to the emergency bus stop, but we still went in…of course now mommy or daddy has to drive their kids to the bus stop and let them sit in the car (at some bus stop there are 10+ cars sitting there waiting for the bus!) so they don’t run the risk of getting cold (not getting a cold…just getting cold.)
I hate that; when they sit in their car at the bus stop and block access to the court.
There are areas in the country where they have weather like this most of the winter.They most certainly do not close every time it snows. They would be going to school until July!The road crews in Harford County didn’t do as good of a job as they normally do. I wonder though, how many of the parents who claim their streets were a mess could be found at the mall with their kids shopping? If you can put them in the car and go to the mall you can put them in the car and take them to school.
Judging by how many people were around Bel Air yesterday I’d say a lot!
The board should establish emergency bus stops as they do elsewhere.The only thing is parents would have to take time out of their day to make sure their children get to them :)It’s only December and we may be using up our 3rd snow day if they close again tomorrow. We still have Jan and Feb to go. If this winter is as trecherous as predicted, there will be a lot more days off that will need to be made up at the end of the year. Then parents will be complaining that the extra days are interfering with their vacation plans.
I am a senior so we dont make it up at the end and i would strongely appretiate it if we did not have school tomorrow
The rest of us, whom you will be caring for in our golden years, would “strongely appretiate” it if you went to school tomorrow.
Study.
Hard.
Seriously.
Please tell me this was intentionally written as a joke. If not, THIS IS OUR FUTURE!
On second thought, perhaps Evan the Senior is preparing for a job as editor at The Aegis!
Stretch Spelling….You know doesn’t matter if it’s write, as long as it looks right!
You should probably try to work on your spelling before you graduate…
In any case, I do think that having school today (especially with a 2 hr delay) is a complete waste of everyone’s time. They would’ve been better off keeping schools closed and making it up over spring break. At least that way there’s a chance that something productive might happen. Either way it doesn’t affect anything I’m doing, but no one is going to be doing much of anything (those who bother to show up.) My wife got emails from several students/parents saying they were leaving for vacation early b/c of school being closed Mo & Tues.
I can’t understand why we’re going to school today. When you look at it logically, it really makes no sense. Money is wasted opening schools for a day, much less a half a day, and the day before we get off for holiday break. The last thing the students are going to be is focused, and even less so on a half day. I really don’t see what they expect us to accomplish.
I agree. The kids are already in Christmas mode as it is. Another illogical decision by the brain trust. I live in a development in Bel Air and the roads are still not good.
Are the bad roads county roads or the responsiblity of your HOA? Imagine the criticism that some get for closing as evidenced in this Sun article.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bal-md.noschool23dec23,0,137030.story?track=rss
Not to say I agree with it but either way someone is unhappy.
I think you’re all making a huge deal out of it… honestly, you’re just a bunch of prissy rich ***. You don’t care if someone gets hurt as long as it’s convenient for you. Send those kids in, as long as your kid is safe, everyone else can die for all you care. I can barely get down my sidewalk, and it’s been shoveled every day. Think outside yourself.
What are you talking about? This article and every comment on it is about HCPS the blizzard back in December and most of the comments are about how stupid it was to have school on 12/23…nearly 2 months ago.
Mack, please refrain from any further posting on here. We are all mature adults who from time to time agree to disagree, but we are not uncouth toward each other. So go find some other blog that condones obscenities.
Hi Mack!
My mom and dad both work for a living. I don’t think wer’re prissy or rich. I have plans for what was my scheduled time off and now will have to change them. If YOUR kids aren’t ready to go to school them keep them home and they can work on vocabulary with you.