UPDATE: The school has recently announced a delayed start for the day. While this is an improvement, we still believe that more can be done to ensure the safety of the APS community. Continue to sign this petition to show that we still don't feel safe going to school.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(All photos taken are from January 8 less than a day from when school is supposed to start)

Dear APS board, members, and faculty,

As a member of the WL student community, I believe it is in APS's best interest to seriously consider the cancellation of school on January 9th, and 10th of 2025.

While Arlington has done a fantastic job clearing the streets of snow, for many students sidewalks and roads are still difficult to traverse which can lead to serious injuries. Many staff members also live outside of Arlington where weather conditions are even more harsh. The safety of not only the students, but the staff who live outside of county bounds should also seriously be taken into consideration. Furthermore, APS buses are not entirely suitable for the cold weather and combined with the conditions listed above could result in a much lower attendance rate for the rest of the week. The Yorktown and Arlington Tech parking lots have both not been plowed which would also result in many students who are reliant on its parking, either not getting to school, or being unsafe in their parking.

These two more days would teachers the opportunity to have a full week of teaching rather than starting and immediately stopping. In addition, the strong winds combined with the icy sidewalks (see images above) could seriously lead to grave injuries and leave many students unable to get to school grounds. Tonight, black ice is likely to form due to the freezing temperatures (17°) and combined with the presence of slush could quickly turn into very dangerous grounds. Not only this, but walking to school tomorrow will be feel like 3° which combined with the snow is just too cold for students to be walking in.

There are 13 built in snow days in APS for a reason, and I hope that we utilize them to ensure the safety of both students and staff.

Thank you for your consideration.