By Andy Dunn
Staff Writer

Superintendent Bill Olsen cancelled school for Westford students due to the severe snowstorm making its way through Massachusetts. But was the call good enough to salvage a good grade?

This review has to be prefaced by the need to clarify the nature of the storm. This was not a storm that may or may not have hit Westford: there was an extremely high probability that it was going to happen.

The storm was not going to be a small bubble that hits parts of Massachusetts but rather a mammoth that’s scope ranged from the Cape all the way up to New Hampshire. There was little doubt that Westford would be hit with predictions ranging from 8 to 14 inches of snow.

Additionally, no school was the right call. Driving is treacherous and ill-advised today and shoveling will be keeping most Westford families busy throughout the day.

However, Olsen’s call does not warrant an A. I’ll even argue that his call does not warrant a grade in the B range. Although the call was technically correct at the end of the day, the way it was done was unnecessarily late and frustrating for Westford students.

Westford schools were cancelled slightly before 5:00 AM this morning. Compare that to the communities of Acton-Boxborough, Ayer, Concord-Carlisle, Dracut, and Lowell which all closed at reasonable hours last night according to WCVB Closings report. By calling earlier, students and parents in these towns went to bed already knowing there would be no school tomorrow.

In classic Westford fashion, students went to bed anxious, debating timeless dilemmas such as studying for tests and doing homework just in case Westford somehow has school tomorrow. This unnecessary stress and anxiety should be what Westford schools aim to eliminate from student’s lives, not create.

For the lateness of the call compared to nearby communities, today’s snow day decision warrants a C. All in all, it was average work, with Olsen making the correct and obvious call but too late to salvage his grade.

Enjoy the snow, WA!

Cumulative Grading Total: B (86%)
December 9: C+
December 18: B
January 2: A+
January 3: A 
January 22: B
February 5: C

Corrections: The Ghostwriter erroneously reported that Nashoba Regional High School announced its closing last night. The error has been corrected.