Bentonville Schools Brace for Severe Weather
By: Marissa Stevens
Updated: February 20, 2013
Wednesday's snow was not severe enough to send students home early in Bentonville, but the threat of ice is moving in.
"We have a system in place when we do have severe ice so we can check buildings if they have proper power, our freezers need to have power, our heat needs to run, and those buildings will be checked," said Sterling Ming with the Bentonville School District.
School officials will be hitting the roads before sunrise.
"Our transportation director and his staff will be up early in the morning, checking road conditions... We look at the precipitation on the road, and road conditions, we look at the temperature, how long the precipitation or the severe weather is going to last."
If the district decides to cut classes early on Thursday, Ming needs to allow plenty of time to get bus drivers ready to run their routes.
"Usually it takes us about and hour and a half or two hours to have the drivers come in and have the buses ready, so if it's within and hour of school hour and a half of school letting out then we just let it run its course."
And notifying parents of the early pickup is also a top priority.
"We're concerned about students being, if we left out early, if they would be left unattended."
So with the reality of sleet and ice hitting their city, Bentonville schools are ready to make the right call.
"The main concern is the safety of the students."







