West Fargo school leaders stand by their call to cancel classes

West Fargo school leaders are standing by their decision to cancel classes due to the weather.

Superintendent Beth Slette said people had been reaching out asking why school was canceled, so they wanted to explain the process.

She sent out a letter to parents explaining why they made the decision.

WFPS Families and Staff: We have received some inquiries about why the decision was made to cancel school and activities today. The district’s 62 buses travel 4,400 miles every day, many of which are on rural routes. We had two district administrators out driving the roads from 4:00-5:30 AM to evaluate conditions. Based on what they were seeing – limited visibility, poor road conditions, and road ditches full of water – we determined the best course of action to be cancelling school. These conditions are worrisome for seasoned drivers in standard vehicles, not to mention teen drivers and the drivers of our large school buses. Further, conditions are expected to worsen throughout the day, which then calls into question our ability to get everyone home safely. It is our goal to always err on the side of caution, with the safety of our students and staff in mind. Making weather-related decisions is one of the more difficult tasks for district administration, as safety and convenience for families are often on opposite ends of the decision made. For additional information on the district’s weather procedures, please visit our website: https://www.west-fargo.k12.nd.us/domain/127. Sincerely, Superintendent Beth Slette Secondary Assistant Superintendent Allen Burgad