The decision process behind inclement-weather school closings: A case-study in Maryland, USA

Abstract

School closings due to inclement weather cause inconvenience for parents, employees, and other affected parties, and such closings have been shown to lower scores on standardized tests. Delaying or closing school is usually a last-minute decision based on current and predicted weather trends. The decision process can also be stressful, as an incorrect decision results in community scorn. Little formal research has been conducted on the procedures used to make an inclement weather closing or delay decision. This research sought to identify the procedures school administrators follow, including the types of weather data used. Statistical analysis of actual closing dates was also carried out to examine if non-meteorological factors, such as day of the week, play a role. Maryland, a mid-Atlantic state in the eastern United States, was chosen for study because there are only 24 school districts but they span a widely-varied physical and socioeconomic landscape. School closing data were collected and assembled and interviews across school districts of varying size were carried out during the autumn and winter of 2010-2011. Overall, three major findings emerged from this study. First, the decision-making process was remarkably similar for districts of all sizes and locations, and largely the same for all types of weather. Second, school transportation directors are well-literate, high-level weather consumers in spite of little or no formal meteorological training. Finally, non-meteorological factors play almost no role in the decision making process, though a slight predilection towards Friday closures was observed. © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society.