DENVER — When Denver East High School student Ian Martines walked out his front door for school Tuesday morning, he says he slipped fell – a sign of the slippery journey he said it was to get to school.
“I actually had to go pick up my friend because their car’s two-wheel drive and they couldn’t make it to school today so I had to drive pretty far East," Martines said. “My message to anyone watching is buckle in, drive safe and just be careful and cautious.”
Another student, Rafael Cuellar, shared a similar story.
“Drive really slow – like slow slow," Cuellar said. “It took me almost an hour to pick up my friend – get to school and everything."
However, students still made it to schools Tuesday.
Denver Public Schools (DPS) didn't have a late start or any school day closures, nor did JeffCo Public Schools or Adams County School District 14.
DPS and Cherry Creek School District (who had a delayed start) canceled all after school activities Tuesday, while Aurora Public Schools (who also had a delayed start) canceled all athletic activities after school.
DPS spokesman Scott Pribble explained that a lot goes into the decision, including timing and safety.
“Right so by doing it this way and getting them to school at their normal time, it gets them to school safely, gives the crews a chance to get out and keep the roads get the roads clean and by the time school is out, they can get home safely," Pribble said. "Because the storm came in later, we knew the roads were going to have some snow on them, but it wouldn’t be as bad as what it would be once the students get to school. And so that was kind of a window for us to get everybody to school safely, and then give the road crews the chance to get the roads cleaned off by the time they head home.”
He also explained that the decision to not enact a delay would potentially have caused more of a mess on the roads.
“Potentially a two hour delay would have put a lot of people on the roads when the roads were at their worst before crews were able to completely get the roads clear," he said.
While safety is the priority, he said, overall, the decision is tough for school districts.
“Nobody likes a snow day because it’s a tough decision for the group that has to make that call. If you call school and call a snow day, people are not going to be happy with it. If you don’t, people aren’t going to be happy," he said.
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