This past Friday, as soon as news spread that Westford was going to get hit with an early spring snowstorm, students began hoping for a snow day. The weather followed through, and just after midnight last night, snow began dusting the ground. Students woke up this morning with a solid four inches covering every surface.

Superintendent of Schools Everett (Bill) Olsen responded to the storm by issuing a two-hour delay today, Monday March 21st. This theoretically gave snowplows enough time to clear most main roads and allow cars to drive to school and work with few obstacles.

This snowstorm was rather surprising, as the weather has been warming up the past two weeks. It seemed as though spring was finally coming, but it was too good to be true.

Students have mixed feelings regarding Olsen’s decision. Some agree with his call, while others strongly believe a snow day would have been more appropriate. His announcement about the late start to the school day was made at a reasonable time, between 5:30 and 6am.

In the email Olsen sent to parents, he explained that the storm was difficult to assess as it unfolded, but it seemed like road conditions would improve enough as the morning progressed for school to go on. It was with this logic that he decided a two-hour delay would be best.

However, the snow was still coming down at 9am, the time most people would begin their trek to school. Because of this, some students thought Olsen would reconsider and call off school completely, but he stuck with his decision.

Although many students were rooting for a snow day (as always), Olsen’s decision makes good sense. The snow stopped around midmorning, and the temperature rose. By the time students were walking home from bus stops, the snow on the ground was melting and looked like it would be gone by the same time tomorrow.

Everything considered, The Ghostwriter gives Superintendent Olsen an A on his decision to issue a two-hour delay as opposed to a snow day on March 21st, 2016. It was the right call.