“Just hydroplaned and almost died on my way to school” tweets one Madison Student this past week. Another student writes, “Gotta love it. MHS. Hands down the strictest board in all of North Jersey. The roads are absolute trash. They’re trying to kill us out here.”
In the past two weeks, it has snowed at least four times on school days. Madison had the chance to use delayed openings or cancel school, but only one delayed opening and one half day were given. Students and parents alike are outraged.
“I had to call to ask if there was a delayed opening,” said Mrs. McKean, a physical education teacher who has taught for three decades at Madison. “I really couldn’t believe we were coming in at the regular time today. The roads are pretty bad out there,” she said Tuesday.
“It’s all Dr. Rossi’s decision,” yells one student across the room. Another student adds that “the police also have a part in the decision too. Either way, we shouldn’t be here. This is so dangerous.”
Dangerous is right. The question of whether to have school or not has come down to safety recently in Madison. It’s not just about the desire to sleep in anymore. It’s about having the roads clear enough to even control your car.
“They cancel senior privilege, but they’ll make us risk our lives on the drive to school when the snow is at it’s worst. I just don’t get it,” comments one senior on the district’s decision.
But others aren’t so opposed to the recent events. “We rarely used to have snow days,” comments Sra. Gottliffe, a Spanish teacher of nearly 40 years for Madison. “If anything, we have them more frequently now than ever.”
So who really makes the decision? “Superintendent Rossi is the guy,” says Secretary Gloria O’Connor. “It really comes down to him if we get a snowday or not.” And although some are unhappy with his choices, one has to consider the challenges of his position and the potential for dissent regardless of the decision he makes.
“It’s a tough job,” comments Ms. Papa O’Brien, a calculus, geometry, and algebra two teacher. “No matter what you decide, someone is going to think you made the wrong call.
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