I've been talking to a lot of mom's about how delaying school affects their lives, and if you're one who loses wages, opportunities, misses doctor appointments, and who is generally confounded by the seemingly mercurial decision to delay/cancel school, call the superintendent's office 412-529-4357 and tell them your concerns and ask for answers and guidelines so that there is accountability. Here are some facts: The district has no guideline for delays. When I called the superintendent's office, I was told that she along with the head of transportation make the decision. - which includes people driving around in neighborhoods. This is not scientific and can be influenced by a person's discomfort with driving in winter weather.​There is no disincentive in delaying school - children can miss ​a day or more of school w/o makeup b/c a two hour delayed day counts as a full day. PIttsburgh weather is not unexpected and if PAT buses still run, why not school buses? I understand that diesel bus engines are more difficult to start in the winter, but there are many other states that have colder temps and still manage to get their kids to school. There are block heaters for keeping the engine warm and the fuel from gelling. Usually, with daily use, the buses shouldn't be too cold to start. If drivers aren't comfortable driving in less than optimum conditions, they should be trained and tested.A threat of bad weather (by news organizations in search of ratings - Severe Weather Team all year round!) should not close down school transportation. The National Weather Service site may be the best at forecasting w/o trying to scare the public: www.nws.noaa.gov On delayed days, it has happened that the weather has turned worse by two hours later and therefore children are waiting for buses in more cold and snow. Lack of understanding about cold and how it affects people adds to bad decision making. How many school officials have any idea that a child would have to have exposed skin at 0 degrees and 15 - 20 mph winds for about 30 minutes before frostbite could set in? (possibly, not definitely) Pittsburgh rarely if ever has these conditions b/c of our topography. And how many moms have sat at a a sled riding hill for hours with their kids on snow days? The kids manage the "dangerous" weather pretty well then!Lost wages, stress, lost opportunity for the (primarily) women who go to work late or call off, or have to scramble for childcare.Historically, when the district has used it's allotted snow days, it's less likely to cancel. If the city snow plows can have GPS trackers to tell residents where they are/have been, why can't buses so that parents can send their kids out closer to the time the buses are to arrive?Margot