After already having a snow day yesterday, many parents were stunned to learn there will be no school again today, not because of impassable roads, but because of a chain reaction that began with transportation.

First, LSTA canceled bussing. Then, several girls’ schools announced closures because there would be no transportation. Boys’ schools followed with modified or shortened schedules, explaining that many of their afternoon teachers, who have children, would be home with their own children and unable to teach.

The result? Widespread closures across the community.

Meanwhile, NY Mandami is holding school.

Parents are left asking a simple question: if roads are safe enough for carpools, why aren’t they safe enough for school? On days without bussing, carpools somehow work. Parents who choose to sit in traffic do so voluntarily. That decision should belong to families, not be made preemptively for everyone.

We all remember the last major snowstorm, when roads truly were a mess. No one questioned school closures then. Safety must always come first.

But this situation feels different.

If a high school can hold a school play tonight, clearly concluding that roads are safe for evening travel, why is it unsafe to hold classes during daylight hours?

This decision has already cost families hundreds of dollars in lost wages from yesterday’s snow day. A second day compounds that loss. Many households cannot afford two missed workdays in a row. In a town that runs heavily on kollel families, many men may now need to stay home because their wives cannot afford to miss a second day of work. Either way, income is lost.

The financial ripple effect is real and immediate.

If schools charged $100 per day of class, trust me, they would find a way to open tomorrow. Every business will be open for one simple reason: they only make money when they’re open.

The two entities closed today are bussing and many morahs; the only ones that continue getting paid regardless. And the economic and communal impact of that reality is significant.

Tuition continues to rise. Donations are requested regularly. Parents are asked, often, to go the extra mile for the school. But when families feel that schools are not going the extra mile in return, frustration builds.

At this point, many parents feel the system is taking advantage, plain and simple, because there is zero accountability. Not from LSTA, and not from the schools. When no one must answer for the consequences, cancellation becomes the easiest choice.

But the easiest choice for institutions is not always the most responsible one for families.

Parents are not asking schools to compromise safety. We are asking for coordination, consistency, and shared responsibility. Snow days are part of winter.

Unnecessary snow days — especially when roads are navigable and other institutions remain open — feel less like safety measures and more like avoidable disruption.

Families deserve better leadership and clearer standards. Our children’s education and the stability of our community depend on it.

This letter is a sequel to my previous piece, “An Open Letter to Our Schools: Reconsidering Pre-Pesach School Closures,” published in The Lakewood Scoop.

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