HOUSTON, Texas – With the possibility of the Houston area experiencing snow and freezing temperatures next week, KPRC 2 reached out to the largest school district in Texas, the Houston Independent School District (HISD), to see if they will be closing campuses.
Like many, the district said it is monitoring the forecast and taking advice from the mayor and the city of Houston on what to do next.
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According to KPRC 2 meteorologists, the Houston area could see snow on Monday and Tuesday.
“Both the American and European models are showing snow in the forecast! The low is in the perfect spot. The blue in the below image is snow and it’s right over Houston. Snow totals should range from 2 to 6 inches in Houston,” KPRC 2 Meteorologist Anthony Yanez said.
With this in mind, KPRC 2 asked HISD about its protocol for shutting down campuses during extreme weather events. An HISD spokesperson released the following statement:
“HISD’s priority is to ensure safe and comfortable learning environments for students and staff, especially during the forecasted freezing temperatures in Houston. After students and staff leave on Friday afternoon, HISD will run building boilers. Next week, HISD teams will inspect and evaluate campuses to ensure they are ready to receive staff and students. HISD officials are coordinating and remain in constant communication with the National Weather Service, Mayor John Whitmire’s Office, and the City of Houston to provide recommendations regarding closures. In the event of a school delay or closure, families will be notified via HISD communications as well as local news outlets.”
To prepare for severe weather, the district said it first gathers its cross-functional team, which ensures that the district is prepared for the weather event by reaching out to other area superintendents, the city of Houston, and monitoring local news organization meteorologists. Secondly, the transportation services’ safety team will send out drivers to ensure road conditions are safe to drive, and then building technicians and custodians will check all the schools to ensure they are functional. Thirdly, starting Sunday night, all boilers and pumps will run to make sure water is circulating at the campuses, and staff will walk the buildings on Monday to ensure the heaters are on.
“Some campuses are equipped with two boilers so if one goes down, the other will help us. Some campuses unfortunately only have one, so if that one goes down we have the backup of a rental company immediately,” said Director of Facility Operations Juan Beltran.
If any decisions are made about school closures, HISD’s Chief of Staff Monica Zdrojewski said parents and students will likely be informed Sunday or Monday night before the nightly news.
“Our goal is to always give the information the night before prior to the nightly news,” Zdrojewski said. “Our goal will be to make a decision prior to that evening broadcast.”
Last year during freezing temperatures, Superintendent Mike Miles said he regretted closing schools and in the next weather event, would place more consideration on the essential learning that is necessary.
“[The mayor] made a decision for the city. I think he gave me good advice, the advice that he offered, I appreciate at the same time. I have to over time, build a culture of essentialness. And there’s only one way to build a culture of essentialness. If you believe we are essential. If you don’t believe that, then that’s a different argument. But I believe we’re essential. I believe that teachers are essential. I believe we provide public service, the absence of which would do great harm to this community. That’s a definition for me of what essential service means. In any case, I have to build that culture. And the only way to build that culture is to act like it and make decisions based on it. And over time, I need to be consistent with that because every time I’m not it diminishes the culture of essentialness. So that is something I’m going to have to consider going forward,” Miles said after deciding to close the district’s campuses during an artist blast.