No playground time for students during cold snap

The current bitterly cold weather has caused very few changes in the school routine in area schools.

The low temperatures have caused the Saline County schools to keep their grade school students inside during the lunch and playground breaks, but the high school students are allowed to follow their normal activities during lunch break.

"We are keeping the grade school students in," said Mike Gauch, Harrisburg school district superintendent. "We monitor the weather closely and when it's this cold, we keep them in. We also have asked the bus drivers to allow a little extra time at their stops so the kids don't have to wait outside in the cold."

Gauch added that the Harrisburg district has encouraged the bus company, Robinson Transport, to pick up students who don't normally ride the bus if the drivers see them walking to school.

Richard Morgan, Carrier Mills-Stonefort district superintendent says that his district follows similar policies regarding the cold weather and grade school students.

"We usually keep the grade school level inside when it's below freezing," Morgan said. "The high school students are allowed to go out to lunch though."

Morgan stated that Carrier Mills-Stonefort district also asked the bus drivers to allow a little more time at stops in the mornings to let the kids wait inside for the bus rather then braving the bitter chill outside.

Galatia Superintendent Dr. Beth Rister said that her district also was keeping the grade school students inside during the current cold snap. Rister said that the high school students had a closed campus policy and also remained in the building during lunch.

"Our district also has two 'courtesy stops' for parents to drop their children off for the school bus to pick them up for their trips to and from school," Rister said.

Rister added that most parents in her district usually bring their children into school in their personal vehicles anyway.