ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, January 15, 1996 TAG: 9601150080
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOEL TURNER STAFF WRITER
THOUGH MOST STUDENTS don't have class today, many superintendents are aiming to resume it by Tuesday or Wednesday.
Most schoolchildren in Western Virginia can sleep late, relax and watch television at least one more day.
Some might not go back to school until Wednesday because of last week's snowstorm.
Most schools in the Roanoke and New River valleys will remain closed today, but several localities will resume classes Tuesday. Other schools might not open until the middle of the week.
Salem children aren't so lucky, however. The city's schools will open this morning, one hour late.
"At this point, we're ready to roll," Salem Superintendent Wayne Tripp said Sunday. "Mother Nature and the city's street crews have done a good job."
Radford schools might open today, too, if the temperature didn't drop too low Sunday night and cause a freeze. School officials will decide early this morning whether to open schools today.
"I plan to be out on the streets at 5 a.m., checking to see if there is any ice," Radford Superintendent Michael Wright said. "I'm optimistic we can open, but I want to keep my options open."
Despite the warming trend and meltdown that began during the weekend, streets and roads, particularly in rural areas, remain too treacherous for school buses in most localities.
School transportation officials in some localities said there is also too much ice and snow on some sidewalks and at some bus stops for small children to get around safely.
Some superintendents are also worried that large piles of snow could create a safety hazard because they could block motorists' view of children.
Roanoke County schools will be closed today but will open Tuesday, one hour late, Superintendent Deanna Gordon said.
Gordon said Sunday that the Virginia Department of Transportation has told her it will have crews working today to clear neighborhood streets, even though it is the Lee-Jackson-King holiday.
School officials will decide today whether exams will be rescheduled or canceled because schools have been closed six days, she said.
Botetourt County schools will also be closed today and open one hour late Tuesday. Botetourt will announce its new exam schedule after schools reopen, Superintendent Clarence McClure said.
Roanoke schools are closed today for the Lee-Jackson-King holiday but expect to open Tuesday.
Franklin County schools might not open until Wednesday, Superintendent Leonard Gereau said. But he added that students could return by Tuesday if the temperature is high enough today and if the packed snow on back roads melts significantly.
"Our secondary roads are so bad, with a lot of ice and snow still on many of them," Gereau said. "It looks like we might not get the schools open until Wednesday, but we are trying hard for Tuesday."
Montgomery County's schools are closed today for the holiday.
Pulaski County schools also might not open until Wednesday because of large snow piles along some roads and the lack of places for buses to turn around.
"Even though some roads are OK, there are places where there is no way for a bus to make a turn because the snow is so deep," Pulaski Superintendent William Asbury said.
Pulaski County has decided to cancel exams because of the missed days, Asbury said.
When schools open, Gereau said, he hopes motorists keep in mind that children might be walking behind piles of snow and might not be visible until they get to the bus stop or edge of the road.
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