Schools prepare for cold; many on two-hour delay

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - School districts are urging parents to bundle their kids up as they send them off to school Tuesday morning and more than 200 schools are on delays due to the wind chill.

“We haven't, in the last couple years, had situations like this. Last year was a real mild winter,” said Randy Taylor, Assistant Superintendent for Business with the Martinsville School District.

Martinsville is just one of dozens of districts on a two-hour delay Tuesday. It’s a decision they say is not made lightly.

“At this time, the National Weather Service is predicting a -10 wind chill, so we made that decision for the safety of the students,” said Taylor. “Hopefully the sun comes up, it gets a little warmer, the wind dies down, and they can come to school.”

Their school bus fleet is ready as well. Buses are plugged in, which heats the diesel fuel, making it easier to start buses in the morning.

But, the decision isn't made only for the students waiting for buses.

“Some students will walk as far as a mile and a half to get to school; it’s a bearing on us to make that good decision,” added Taylor.

The superintendent with Community School Corporation of Southern Hancock County says he tries to always err on the side of student safety. He says cold weather can bring mechanical issues to buses, and he’d rather have that happen in daylight, than in the dark.

Lebanon Schools are also one of the districts with a two hour delay. Spokesperson for the district, Rick Hightower, said via email, “This will allow for the busses to be started and warmed up before the pick-up of students.  This delay will also allow for any mechanical issues that might arise from the cold.”

Mooresville Schools is one of the districts that posted the decision on Facebook.

Susan Haynes, spokesperson for the district, said via email, “Each delay or closing decision is made on a case-by-case basis. Factors we take into account to determine a delay or closing include temperature and weather advisories as well as any precipitation and the road conditions.”

Click here to see the latest delays and closings.