School cancelled 2/20
I need to vent my frustration again against Hackettstown School district and whoever is in charge of making the cancellation decisions. Once again the schools were cancelled ahead of time, the snow won’t start until later. The safety of the kids is paramount but seriously why cancel? An early dismissal would have been fine. When you cancel school it not only affects the kids but the parents who have to call out. Please start making better judgement calls.
hcktownparent If you are looking to blame someone, look at Governor Murphy. Since he called a State of Emergency this morning to begin at 5 am, the schools were forced to cancel. The school district would have kept the early dismissal if it wasn't for the governor. No one wanted today off since we knew that the snow was starting later, especially the administration and faculty. Please stop blaming the wrong people and start looking at Governor Murphy.
Reading JunkieIts hard to blame the correct people when the reason for cancellation isn't fully explained
Amen Junkie....its all on Murphy. He forced the hand of the schools. I know several admins from the school system and none of them wanted to close today. They wanted to get a 1/2 day in.
CraftBeerBob "Since he called a State of Emergency this morning to begin at 5 am, the schools were forced to cancel."
nope not at all. State of Emergency does not automatically mean schools are forced to close. School closings are up to the individual school districts, the state can not FORCE schools to close.
Jim L Well it seems Governor Murphy is to blame for everything......probably even the snow itself. Not sure about the accuracy of the different weather stations but they said snow would overtake the area quickly and completely. With temps the way they have been it will probably start sticking quickly as well.
Mel81 Yeah but what administrator is going to stick his or her neck out after a state of emergency is declared. One injury or accident because you kept school open and all a lawyer has to show is the state of emergency declaration and now the school is writing a fat check with no defense.
Jdem So it’s snowing now. The right call apparently.
I for one would never want to be the one who has to decide whether to close the school or go for early dismissal. Damned if you do and damned if you don’t.
You’re all Monday morning quarterbacks!
RAS Jim is right.... but what do you think would happen if a tragedy happened during a state of emergency? Classic CYA... unfortunately.
Jdem nailed it.
One word.
Lawyer.
Lawyer and lawsuit, the words that strike fear in all Americans. Your kid has one beer and crashes a car, you can be bankrupted.
I can only imagine the money the local, county, state, and federal governments pay lawyers as they all spend money suing themselves and their own employees for their own gross incompetence.
A police officer takes a baton, puts it in someone where the sun does not shine. Lawyers to the rescue for the victim.
The losers-the taxpayers.
dodgebaal Here is a question, we just had off the Friday before President's day. We do not get out of school until June 26th as it is. When I was younger, growing up right here in Hackettstown, we started school after Labor day and got out in mid June ( 16th/17th ish).
What has changed? Why do we get out so late?
Yes it's snowing. Hopefully everyone gets home safely and gets off the roads as soon as possible to allow the great men and women to maintain the roadways. Good call school districts.
Super Johnson Please, people, PLEASE learn what a state of emergency actually means.
I think this has more to do with districts not trusting the State to be able to clear the roads after the November debacle.
jnnjr Just passed Hillsborough Elementary School. They were open today and buses were starting to line up so they were operating on an early dismissal.
Snow started in my neck of the woods at about 10:30 and immediately stuck to the hard surfaces including my driveway and walkway. School closure, IMHO, equates to safe rather than potentially sorry especially considering hilly roads.
Mrs. Pipes```` I'm glad they closed. As a parent and for parents that work and drive their kids to school, it's far easier to just stay home and not have to deal with the commute at all. Maybe others don't have that option, but at least you can plan ahead and not end up at work only to turn around and come back to get your child. Plus it looks pretty bad out there right now. It was the right call.
Rest assured they'll be a delayed opening tomorrow, might as well start bitching about that.
Don Neighboring districts are operating on an early dismissal so the state of emergency didn’t force the school closing.
Cowgirl01 Does Jim L ever tire of having to come on here to correct the wild inaccuracies of posters? Why do people think that they are correct with their statements? Do they fact check or is it because they think it so it must be true? Imagine being an innocent person on trial and having these people on the jury.
Iamrite A bunch of angry people with pitchforks always ready Iamrite. Damned if they do, damned if they don’t. Gotta love blaming the governor for the snow closing schools though lol.
Notanangrymom Re- CuriousGeorge's question...Why do we get out so late? I heard it was because the High school needs to keep the same date for graduation (?) I think it is nuts to keep these kids in school to the end of June!!! When I was a kid it was always fun to get out in early in the month. We didn't have less snow days either. Never an issue to pull days from spring break, President's weekend, etc. And half days counting as full days????!!!!!! Can anyone offer an explanation for that?
Gardenfish All neighboring districts also closed today @ cowgirl, it's not just Hackettstown. We all know when their is potential for bad weather so make plans for that just in case. I for one is happier being safer than sorry.
Sunflower “Its hard to blame the correct people when the reason for cancellation isn't fully explained”
It’s snowing
Students need to be in school at least 176 days , however they build in more days Incase of snow, and if the snow days are not used the students get out earlier in June. A half day counts as day, students have to be in class for five hours to count as day
Flowerbud I feel sorry for these school children when they reach the real world..where they suddenly have to go to work during the threat of a snow storm...no board of ed to protect them...they have to drive in snow
LOL bug3 are you serious? You think a snow day for CHILDREN is going to somehow alter their future when they are adults going to work and driving? Give me a break. That is the furthest reach of ridiculous nonsense I’ve heard in a while. Let me guess, you used to walk 6 miles uphill in a blizzard to get to school?
IDK, bug. I work in the real world and haven't had to drive in the snow in years. Telecommuting is a wonderful thing.
MB Flowerbud you are incorrect. It’s 180 days with a minimum of 4 hrs to count as a full day.
http://www.ecs.org/clearinghouse/95/05/9505.pdf
Also
https://www.njsba.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/rescheduling-guidlines.pdf
3wbdwnj 
Panic.... Panic drives some people to be trigger happy, and set off the "Shoulda woulda, coulda" circle of an abysse.
Why sweat the small stuff? Closing school for a 1 to 3 inch snowfall is asinine.
Maybe the town or the school board needs to hire and have on staff, a weather person to call the shots as to weather school shall be closed / opened later / dismissed early / etc. It will eliminate the finger pointing.
Embryodad Four hours isn't a full day and shouldn't be counted as a full day. I see the reason for some half days but I will never accept a half day as a full day of school.
And....what about the people who are not teachers who work in our school systems... do they get paid on snow days???? Aides...bus drivers...janitors...secretaries...cafeteria staff??
Huh Bug, being a teacher isn't a job in the real world? Snow days count for teachers as well, and most jobs are lenient when it comes to severe weather.
Pauly Actually I said 5 hours, school staff is paid on a salary ( so yes they are getting paid )
Teachers aren’t working in the real world ? It’s funny to have people put down such an admirable profession, teachers are paid very little most have two jobs, like many other professions, who can’t live on what they make. Teachers also put in many hours of work, on their time , they have many bosses. Parents , administrators. Forget the notion all teachers, have off in the summer, 90% of teachers work throughout the summer, because they are not paid. It seems that’s working in the real world
Philliesman Telecommuting for workers and students is the answer to not driving on days such as this. However, many workers don't have jobs they can telecommute to, i.e. manual labor jobs; these folks will be "stranded" so to speak...
iJay 
CBGB Flowerbud are you referring to the teachers when you say school staff is paid salary? I'm asking about the other school positions, are they paid when school is closed? I don't think they are. Maybe it is a new topic but whenever we speak about public schools & education we always talk about teachers. I am also interested in all the other people who work in our schools. Schools wouldn't be able to operate without these people and teachers wouldn't be able to teach.
close the schools for "historically " the worst 4weeks of winter, run the heat in all the buildings at 58 / 60 degrees, buses don't have to go out ( huge reduced liability )….have the children go to school in the summer month of June into july.
much more cost effective, financially sound, and "everyone "can schedule around a fixed schedule that is better AND safer for the children.
Another system that is antiquated and broken.
It makes zero sense to open a school for 1/2 day in the winter,heating the building, clearing the walkways, spreading salt, running all those buses, generating all the hazards ( of people driving their children to school that do not take a bus )
Common sense ...let's see some of it utilized . Keep the children safe, safe monies.....how does that not make sense ?
steven Why are people bitching about the school being closed today and they don’t bitch about an early dismissal? The early dismissal was called last night and no one complained. I for one am glad that I didn’t go to work for 3 hours just to turn around and pick my kid up early for this. What’s the point of an early dismissal unless the snow starts to come down heavy, earlier than forecasted? If there was going to be no school anyway I would rather it this way than trying to give them 3-4 hours just to come home.
H-town Mama Early dismissal would have been the answer. We all know the weather forecast is never correct.,
Another bust.
Botheredbyuu2 "quote from above
>>>Wow who ever wrote this is dumb<<<
YOU wrote it
LMNO"
I see what you did there
Whip Steven, an extra month of air conditioning would cost a heckuva lot more than a month of only heating the building to 60 degrees in the coldest month of winter.
ianimal You have kids, this stuff happens, it should be part of your "plan" when you decided to have one.
Now, get over it.
Why don't you worry more about why, Hackettstown tax dollars are so high, but yet there aren't even busses for these kids. That's something worthy of talking/complaining about.
I animal,
Why do they "need" a/c ? you assume sweltering heat ..
What about the other expenses ?
Salting the facility , running buses in winter on the roads , the liability alone of the children on the buses in this weather is not necessary, if things are on a "fixed schedule, life is easier for all....think about it further.
StrangerDanger Flowerbud Teachers are paid an annual salary. They can take this money over 12 months OR 10 months.
Most take it over the 10 months and then claim they don't get paid for the summer months. THUS think they don't work for 2 months. Then think they need to go find another job.
Teachers get so much time off for Christmas break, Easter or Spring break, other days in the year, delayed starting times and early dismissals.
Then there are professional positions that travel Rt 80 leaving the house at 6-7 in the morning, getting home at 7 at night, having to dig out to get on the road and get 2 weeks vacation a year. Also bring work home to do weekends and evenings.
In my next life, I want to be a teacher. A lot easier job with more "perks".
Bernie 
skippy Commenting is no longer available.