It is always a parent's choice and right to keep their child home in inclement weather. Many do. Lots of days such as the ones we have had recently, even if school is officially open - parents will choose to keep their kids home. I have had classes that are normally as large as 25, have half as many in attendance on a bad weather day that we go.

And, some states are smarter than other states (ie. some will go bankrupt (CA for example) much sooner than others. Just because others do dumb things, does that mean we should? Schools are non-profit organizations. And as such, being closed a few days is not losing the state money. It is saving the state money. And, as somebody wisely stated, trying putting a price tag on a humans life. You can't. Now, I lived and grow up in this kind of situation (bad weather - chance of staying home) yet it didn't warp me. I STILL understand and accept that most other places of employment will be open for business (although not all of them - ie. my dentist had closed his office Monday and Tuesday of this week. How do I know? My wife cleans his office after hours).

Many of the above mentioned states are better prepared for bad weather regarding manpower and machinery. Maybe that is one of the reasons they are broke??? I don't know . . .

Then whole 'crazy' states were closing down parts of I-70 for hundreds and hundreds of miles. Don't they know how much money that will cost people? Many airlines shut down for days due to bad weather. Don't they know how much money and inconvenience this will cost people? I guess they figure it is not as inconvenient as lawsuits and funerals . . . An airline, a FOR PROFIT business. . . shutting down temporarily due to bad weather. How 'dumb'. . . .

Last, some cities get hit harder and some are better able to move/deal with the snow for some of the reasons stated above. Again, I like my nose, fingers and toes . . .

No blanket statement is made (ie. ALL KS SCHOOLS WILL BE CLOSED). It is on an individual school district basis. Many, many times - districts other than mine, just 15-30 miles away have been closed due to bad weather, but our 'mean, old superintendent' makes us go anyway! ;-)

It is not so simple and black and white. Think gray . . . And error on the side of caution. A human life is priceless. . . .