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Will Central Virginia schools stay closed all week?

Posted at 7:34 AM, Feb 17, 2015
and last updated 2015-02-17 07:44:03-05

RICHMOND, Va. -- As snow started to fall in Central Virginia Monday, most school systems wasted no time cancelling class for Tuesday. By 6 p.m., most students had received the good news about their snow day. Now that the snowstorm has passed and there is no more significant snow in this week's forecast, the question becomes when (or if) students will return to school this week.  Chesterfield County Schools spokesman Shawn Smith was asked that question Tuesday on CBS 6 News This Morning.

"We have to take into consideration their stake [students and school employees] and their security coming into school. About 45,000 of our students ride those buses each and every day," Smith said. "Our county is so large, 450 square miles, so what we've seen in years past is that conditions can vary from one end of the county to the next. So what can happen in the days ahead is people can look outside and the roads will be clear, but other parts of the county may not be. We have to make the collective decision."

Temperatures are not expected to rise above freezing this week, leading CBS 6 meteorologist Carrie Rose to predict a week's worth of school closures. Smith, however, was not ready to commit to a week-long school shutdown.

"We will make our decisions day-to-day as we progress," Smith said. "Certainly being realistic, looking outside right now, it is difficult conditions. I can only imagine what the secondary roads look like, so we have to take that all into consideration."

Smith said before the decision to close schools is made, Chesterfield County School leaders reach out to Chesterfield Police, Virginia State Police and the Virginia Department of Transportation for advice. They also speak with school leaders in nearby cities and counties.

"We know that by Chesterfield, being so large, any decision we make can impact not just our families, but businesses in other jurisdictions," Smith said.

When do you think Central Virginia students will go back to school? Vote in our online poll.

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