I live in Knoxville, TN. We had a lot of ice here the last 2 days. My dh works at the university and they cancelled classes. Many years ago, they did not cancel classes in a big storm and some kid throwing snowballs was killed by an angry driver.
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Now they close classes more than before that. It is also due to insurance policies.
The local schools close more because we have so many back, winding roads. One year the cops closed the road our lane is off of, due to ice and snow. No one could get out of the road.
Because we do not have many of these winter storms, when it does happen, panic sets in. If we lived somewhere it happens more, we would not panic as much.
Our schools get money if kids are there so long a day. If they wait to call off school and then parents have to come get kids, people get mad. If they call it off early, people get mad if nothing happens. They can not win.