For students whose route to school involves walking, whether to a bus stop or to the school itself, snowy and icy sidewalks make that route less safe.
When deciding to delay or cancel school, district leaders consider the state of roads throughout the district.
“(Sidewalk conditions are) a concern, but that is very secondary to roadways, parking lots, and building walkways,” said Jason Enix, superintendent for Huber Heights schools. “Waiting for sidewalks to be clear could be a very long time, so this doesn’t really play a factor, though we definitely understand the concerns families have about that issue.”
District leaders must weigh the cost of snow-derived issues for students with the cost of too many missed school days.
“The large mounds after a heavy snowfall that are often at bus stops (and) intersections make for challenges with our loading and unloading buses, along with navigating roadways where cars parked on the street are snowed in,” Enix said. “Combining a large snow event with a string of cold temperatures means these challenges will be around for a while, but can’t keep schools from being in session for an extended period of time.”
Dayton Public chose to cancel school Thursday in part due to snow-covered sidewalks in the city. The district does not bus students who live two miles or less from their school, and anyone in high school doesn’t get a yellow bus ride to school. Instead, the district gives out RTA passes.
“The district will be closed tomorrow, Thursday, January 9th, due to the expected morning temperatures and snow buildup on sidewalks and side streets,” the district said in a social media post on Wednesday. “No students are to report.”
So, who is responsible for clearing sidewalks? Many local municipalities put the responsibility for clearing sidewalks on their residents.
Property owners in the city of Hamilton are responsible for clearing sidewalks in front of their home or business, said Hamilton spokesperson Maddie Watkins. This includes shoveling and salting.
The city also doesn’t clear alleyways due to their small size.
The city of Oakwood offers sidewalk plowing to residents when there is more than one inch of snow on the ground. However, under city ordinance, it’s still the responsibility of the homeowners to clear the sidewalks. The city doesn’t put salt down on the sidewalks.
Centerville residents may be guilty of a minor misdemeanor if their sidewalks aren’t cleared, according to the city’s ordinance.
Kettering also requires residents to clear their sidewalks of snow and ice as soon as practically possible after a storm.
In Vandalia, private property owners are required by city ordinance to clear their sidewalks of snow and ice, according to spokesman Rich Hopkins.
“The city does have a building maintenance crew that handles snow and ice removal from all city-owned facilities, including the parking lots and walkways, but they don’t do anything on private property,” Hopkins said Wednesday.
The city of Dayton says property owners and tenants are responsible for clearing snow and ice from sidewalks adjacent to properties owned or occupied. Spokeswoman Toni Bankston said the city has never shoveled sidewalks.
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