KENTUCKY (WKYT) -Many school districts in southern and eastern Kentucky were still closed Monday because of icy roads.
School leaders say the decision to close schools always centers on safety and what buses can do.
“You got to look at safety first,” said Knox County Transportation Director Jeff Ketcham. Knox County Schools will be closed again on Tuesday.
Knox County school leaders also say it’s not just about if all roads are mostly passable.
“As you can see right here, there’s no way you can pass. If you run into a vehicle,” said Ketcham, pointing out a section of a road just off US 25 that was mostly clear with snow around the edges.
Knox County called off school because too many rural and remote roads were either icy, snow-covered, or posed other issues.
“Also, be concerned with other people coming by in their vehicles. And hitting the ice and sliding into them,” said Ketcham.
Knox County has used all their nontraditional or NTI days because of snow and other issues last fall. Decisions are difficult to make considering the effect of kids not being in school.
“You wonder have they had hot meals, warm houses, things that are often barriers to learning,” said Knox Co. Schools Communications Director Frank Shelton.
Pulaski County has used four NTI or I-learn days and had three traditional snow days. Most of the reason why Monday was another is because of roads like Acorn Ano Road.
“It takes a while to get the sunshine on them. There’s a lot of hidden areas. Below cliffs, in the shades of trees, It just doesn’t melt,” said Pulaski County Superintendent Patrick Richardson.
Knox County has more than 3,000 miles of bus routes traveled each day. Pulaski County has 7,000.
“We still have gravel roads we run, and those can’t be treated like a blacktop road,” said Richardson.
“And it being wet from all the snow, you don’t know how much you actually have behind there until you start slipping off,” said Shelton.
School leaders also say they consider young, inexperienced student drivers who have traveled into Somerset from more rural areas.
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