Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - Two different worlds of weather in Western New York Thursday.
The Southtowns were hammered with lake effect snow. The Northtowns
received a dusting or less.
But dozens of schools in the region closed across the board, regardless of geography.
"It's a tough decision. We monitored the weather all day," said Mike Ginestre, Superintendent of Sweet Home Central Schools on WBEN. "We were not sure how far North the snow band would go."
He said snow is not the only factor.
"It's also getting our staff into school, which is not only teachers, but bus drivers and aides."
Ginestre said there is something else.
"When the governor proclaimed a state of emergency in Erie County, we wanted to make sure that our students were safe, as well as faculty and staff."
Did the state of emergency influence the decision to close schools?
"It does play a factor," he admitted. "These significant weather events seem to be happening more and more. When we have a state of emergency, it gives us a little protection when it comes to aid. We have to be in school a certain amount of days to claim our state aid. So, when that state of emergency is issued, if we use all of our emergency days, (typically five per year), we have that as a tool to reclaim aid."
Sweet Home staff is spread throughout Western New York. It can be a challenge for many of them to get to work on snowy days.
Ginestre said there is also a teacher shortage and a shortage of substitute teachers in the district and he has to consider staffing when it snows, to make sure that he has the proper coverage.
"It's not an easy decision, but safety is number one."