With forecasts predicting sub-freezing temperatures, preparations are underway to ensure school buildings and facilities are winter-ready. According to the San Antonio Report, local districts are taking proactive steps such as draining chillers, wrapping pipes, and gearing up HVAC systems to combat the cold snap expected to hit the area.
Even with schools closed on Monday for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, maintenance crews are on high alert. The Southside Independent School District's students involved in horticulture are also working to protect plants in their greenhouse from the frigid onslaught. While the cold is set to bite from Sunday, these measures are expected to prevent the hefty damages experienced in the past—last year's winter storm Uri inflicted more than $1.5 million in damages to North East Independent School District campuses alone.
There's a collective confidence among area leaders about their preparedness. CPS Energy President and CEO Rudy Garza expressed his belief that Texas is ready this time around, as stated by the San Antonio Report. School districts are echoing this sentiment, with Northside Independent School District spokesperson Barry Perez telling the publication, "As always, we will have crews ready to be dispatched even through the weekend to address any localized issues."
With safety as a top priority, several Central Texas school districts, including Temple and Waco ISDs, informed KCEN TV that they are closely monitoring weather models ahead of the impending weather event. Killeen ISD's Taina Northington emphasized the need to properly communicate any decisions to employees, families, and students in a timely manner. On the ground, school or transportation personnel will conduct checks to confirm the safety of travel conditions for buses and drivers.
As districts brace for the cold, they are also ensuring that their communication lines stay open and clear to avoid misinformation and keep families informed. The Temple ISD Communications Department assured that school officials would attempt to provide a meal to students before any potential early dismissals, while Kurtis Quillin, Director of Communication for Copperas Cove ISD, told KCEN TV, "That is always going to be the main driver in any decision that we make as a school district is the safety of our students, their families and our staff." So as Central Texas battens down the hatches for the arctic blast, its schools stand vigilant, ready to face the cold.
