Crowley ISD Opens Schools Early To Help Keep Students Warm

FORT WORTH (CBSDFW.COM) - The goal of keeping kids safe in the freezing cold is something schools across North Texas are working hard to do. Temperatures are so frigid and wind chills so low that frostbite can occur in as little as 30 minutes on exposed skin.

One North Texas school district is going the extra miles to get kids inside and out of the elements.

With temperatures that stayed below 20-degrees at or around the time students should have been making their way to school, in an effort to cut down on the amount of time youngsters have to spend outdoors the Crowley Independent School District opened school buildings early.

Crowley ISD spokesman Anthony Kirchner explained, "This is the coldest weather most of our students have ever experienced and we wanted them to be safe. A lot of our students walk to school or are standing out at bus stops [in the morning] and we wanted them to have a place to go, inside, and be warm."

Classes were cancelled on Tuesday in the Crowley ISD, but the superintendent had sent a note alerting parents that buildings would be opening their doors early today. Elementary school buildings and the Crowley Learning Center opened at 6:15 a.m., intermediate and middle school buildings opened at 7:10 a.m. and the high school buildings opened at 7 a.m.

The school district also encouraged parents to drop their children off if possible, instead of having them walk to school. Parent Yvonne Copphee said the additional effort by the district made it easy. "Some kids may not have coats or warm clothing to wear, so it was very convenient for them to open it up early for them to be in the warm building."

Crowley ISD officials told CBS 11 News that the administrative decision to open early is part of a new district policy that will open all schools early if temperatures are below 20 degrees.

District officials said afternoon pickup and dismissal times will run as usual.