Superintendent: Parents Final Arbiter On Keeping Students Home Due To Weather

After this weekend's snow storm and deep freeze, there might be few parents who wonder if its safe to send their children to school, especially with some sidewalks not shoveled forcing their charges onto icy streets.

Belmont School Superintendent Thomas Kingston wants to remind those parents that they, not him, have the final say on sending their children to school.

With "snow likely to blow and when it does," Kingston will be making a decision in consultation with town officials and school staff whether Belmont six schools can "safely" be open. That information will be relayed to the public via robo-calls and through the media.

But Kingston said that call is not an order for parents to march their children off to class when they themselves believe wintery weather is dodgy at best.

"I want to state very firmly that if there is inclement weather and we keep schools open … [i]f in your judgement you don't believe your child would be safe going to school, keep your child at home," said Kingston, who said he gets calls during any winter event in which parents ask "if I'm out of my mind!"

"We'll have a very liberal leave policy on those days," said Kingston.