The Oklahoma City Public School District closed schools Friday, Jan. 24 due to extremely cold temperatures.
The announcement was made at 5:30 a.m. Friday morning, after consideration of the temperature and forecast for the day.
Rod McKinley, OKC Schools Chief HR Officer, spoke to News Channel 4 this morning about the decision.
“It was actually a pretty easy decision,” McKinley said. “We have a lot of kids out there, waiting for the busses and so forth, and standing out in the cold weather in these extreme temperatures exposes them to frostbite.”
When questioned why Oklahoma City School District schools were closed while suburban schools remained open, McKinley cited the poverty levels of many children in the metro area.
“We have a lot of kids here…that because of their social status might not have the cold weather gear like the kids in some of the other areas,” McKinley said.
McKinley also said that bus malfunctions early this Friday morning led to the cancelling of schools.
“This morning we have five or six busses that we had a hard time getting started,” McKinley said. “That also helped make our decision easier.”
McKinley said that the district made the decision early Friday.
“It’s about the safety of the kids, and it was a pretty easy decision this morning, since it’s the coldest day of the year.”
OCU proceeded with regularly scheduled classes.
Watch the full interview here.
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