In January, the Treasure Valley experienced some intense winter weather conditions. As a result, several snow days were called, including one “virtual day.” Vallivue School District Assistant Superintendent Joseph Palmer sat down with us to discuss the pros and cons of calling a snow day.

Palmer oversees Vallivue elementary schools, state and federal programs, public relations, and many other responsibilities. Calling a snow day is a collaborative process between the Brown Bus Company, Vallivue maintenance, the superintendent and assistant superintendent, and superintendents from surrounding districts.

Typically, the bus company will send buses out to drive some of the bus routes around the district around 3 a.m. that morning to see whether they can navigate the conditions. The bus company then communicates with the district regarding the conditions outside, and they attempt to make a decision no later than 5:30 a.m. The ultimate decision to call a snow day for Vallivue is made by Vallivue’s Superintendent Lisa Boyd.

According to Palmer, the virtual day on January 12 was a rare circumstance and shouldn’t be expected as the new norm. The weather forecast was unpredictable and ranged from light snow to blizzard-like conditions, so a virtual day was called the afternoon of January 11. The virtual day posed some benefits for Vallivue’s students. Since there is a limit to how many snow days can be called in a year, the virtual day decreased the chance of Vallivue needing to add an extra make-up day at some point during the school year. The district sets aside two school days worth of snow days in case of weather emergencies. Vallivue is hopeful that no more snow days will be called this winter.