Alright, here goes...
One of the reasons that school is canceled is because of the "end-of-the-world" weather forecasts that we receive. If snow and ice are prophesied, then school boards want to get the children home safely before the storm hits, which is only right. The trouble is, often the forecasts don't come true. "Better safe than sorry" is the motto for such decisions.
Fear of litigation is another factor involved here. If a school bus were to slide off into a ditch (or something worse), and a litigious parent were to see a little patch of ice on the road nearby, then the school district would be sued, tying up valuable resources in court and settlement charges.
I agree that society is turning children into overprotected hypochondriacs, but when there's a threat to the safety of other people's children, the adults in charge have to make decisions, and the rest of us get to pick those decisions apart.
As far as the story of the woman leaving her children in the car while she went to get a tan, I'm not in favor of leaving children unattended in vehicles. And besides, who gets a tan in the winter? 
--dbh
When given a choice, most people will choose.
Bookmarks