Public School Closings Cause Hassles, Delights for Parents

For only the ninth time since 1978, New York City Public Schools were closed today, delighting 1.1 million of the city’s schoolchildren, and causing a mix of childcare hassles and unexpected fun for their parents.

“It’s a pain,” said Prospect Heights mom Kathryn Pope. She said she and her husband had to negotiate who is going to miss work (she won today).

“We both had meetings so it’s all about who’s going to take the hit,” she said, as she headed for her commute.

Nicole Tu, who was out in front of the with her daughters Zoe and Lela, said her husband went to work while she stayed home with them. With her was Ricardo Miranda, on childcare duty while his wife went to the gym.

“I'll split the childcare with her today,” Miranda said.

Because many New York City public school students take the train or walk to school, the city tries to keep schools open to avoid childcare problems for parents.

“This is not a decision that we make lightly; we never want our kids to lose a day of school, or their parents to lose a day of work,” Mayor this morning.

But, he said, “the combination of mass transit delays and suspensions, and difficult conditions on secondary and tertiary streets, made this decision the only right one for parents, students, and staff.”

Schools and after-school programs will be open tomorrow, he said.

As for students scheduled to take the state Regents exams today, they will be rescheduled in June, Schools chancellor Cathie Black said.

Some parents praised the decision to close the schools, saying the 12+ inches of snow necessitated the school closing for safety reasons.

“At 7:30 a.m. the streets were not clear, so it’s kind of dangerous to be walking in that kind of condition,” said Denise Jones, who was out near Park Place and Classon Avenue mid-morning with her 9-year-old twins, Iset and Isis.

John Seme, who has a 9 year-old son, Malcolm, noted that with the buses canceled this morning, it would be hard for children to get to school.

Over in Prospect Park, parents interview had abandoned work concerns and embraced the snow day with glee.

"It messed up my entire day, but now I'll just push everything back," said a grinning Madeline Rhum, before she hopped the sled again with her 9-year-old daughter, Corinne.

Ben Michaelis was at the park giving his daughter, Juliet, 3, her first sledding lesson.

Asked if he had been given the day off from work, Michaelis said no.

"I'm purely playing hooky today,” he said.