Late warning by Cape schools misses some parents, students

Thursday's early-morning snowfall forced school closings throughout Southeast Missouri, but many students, parents and faculty in the Cape Girardeau school district didn't get the message and showed up for class anyway.

Cape Girardeau superintendent Mark Bowles said he made the decision to call off school around 6:30 a.m. and immediately called local radio and television stations.

"It was later than usual, but we made the call early enough that parents should have been aware," Bowles said.

Bowles said the announcement aired on radio stations around 6:40 a.m. but didn't appear on KFVS-TV until after 7 a.m. As a result, several parents and students arrived at the high school and elementary schools, only to discover class had been canceled. District officials said they don't know exactly how many students actually showed up, but there were reports of at least two or three students getting out at each school.

Dr. Mike Cowan, principal of Central High School, said members of his staff stood outside the building to let parents and students know school was closed as they drove by.

"We always try to let student and parents know as soon as possible. This morning, we weren't able to do that as effectively as normal," Cowan said.

Mark Little, news director for KFVS, said the sheer volume of school cancellation phone calls received in a short period of time Thursday morning most likely caused the delay in airing Cape Girardeau's closing.

"We handle closings for 300-plus schools in four states," Little said. "Our current setup is capable of handling 300 schools, but not all at once."

Little said the timing of the storm led most school officials to call during the 6 a.m. broadcast, which also complicated things. To avoid future problems, Little said his advice is for district officials to call the station as early as possible.

Willetta Brookins with the Cape Girardeau board office said she had numerous phone calls from irate parents Thursday morning, although she didn't have an exact count.

"The phone didn't stop ringing until around 9:30 a.m.," said Brookins. "Parents were quite angry. I got an earful from some of them."

Thursday marked the third day this year that Jackson and Cape Girardeau schools have canceled classes due to winter weather.

Dr. Rita Fisher, assistant superintendent at Jackson, said the time will be made up on days originally scheduled for teacher workshops and Easter break -- March 21, April 2 and April 19.

Fisher said any additional missed days will be added to the end of the school year. Jackson schools were already slated to be closed today because of a teacher workshop, and also Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

According to Bowles, Cape Girardeau school officials have not yet determined how their missed days will be made up.

School officials encourage parents to call the main district office any time there is snow on the ground and classes are in question.

cclark@semissourian.com

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