Parents are asking a simple question: why was there no school Tuesday? No one opposes an occasional break. Children benefit from time off. But when additional days off are already scheduled next week, and students were just home the day prior, closing school again largely due to bus availability calls for clear explanation.

School is not a side program. When it closes, it disrupts parents learning in Yeshiva, working parents balancing responsibilities, and most importantly the children who depend on structure and consistency. Closing should be a last resort, not a reflex.

Lakewood has shown that when something truly matters, it gets done. Weddings take place in snow. Events run despite complications. Logistics are solved. Some mosdos that close during the day manage to operate wedding halls that same evening under identical weather conditions. That reality understandably raises questions.

A facility that cannot function without busing is structurally vulnerable. Winter in New Jersey is predictable. Transportation interruptions are not theoretical. With busing under review, it cannot be treated as guaranteed. Schools need workable contingency plans to operate without buses if necessary because if, chas v’shalom, busing were ever reduced or eliminated, shutting down cannot be the only response.

This is not about criticizing transportation providers. On the contrary, those who coordinate buses daily in Lakewood’s traffic deserve appreciation. Managing routes, timing, and safety in these conditions is no small task. The focus here is not the bus companies.

Responsibility ultimately rests with school leadership. Accountability is not disrespect, it is leadership. If traffic must be managed, manage it. If carpools must be organized, organize them. Contingency planning is part of running a mosad.

No one signs up for chinuch/Rosh Mosad/principal/ expecting to direct traffic. But leadership requires doing what the moment demands. If maintaining continuity even when it means personally stepping in feels unmanageable, then it may be time to pass the baton to someone prepared to shoulder that responsibility.

This is not about one snow day. It is about standards. Our children were promised an education. That promise demands preparation, seriousness, and resilience even when circumstances are inconvenient.

Lakewood has much to be proud of. There is no question that Lakewood strives for and sets the highest standards of chinuch. Precisely because we lead, we must ensure we get this right as well. May we continue to work together for the sake of our children and share in true nachas from their growth and success.

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