The Mehlville School District has implemented a new snow schedule and, with the impending threat of snowfall on Jan. 19 and 20, all students should be educated on what has changed and what will stay the same.

On days when the snow schedule is used, rather than classes starting at 7:15, they will start at 9:15. At OHS, each class will last about an hour and the blocks will be in the following order: 1, 3, 2, 4 or 5, 7, 6, 8.

The snow schedule will be used whenever it is decided that the roads will be safe and the snow will stop by late morning. Additionally, snow schedule days will count as a full attendance day and will not result in extra school days at the end of the year. However, if travel is considered unsafe, classes and activities will be cancelled for the entire day, as in the past.

“A two hour late start gives enough time for the roads to be cleared, for there to be not as much traffic, and for people to get here with a little less trouble,” said Principal Jan Kellerman. “Last year, we had faculty late, kids late, and people sliding all over the place on a day when a bunch of other schools had off and we came in, but by 9:30 everything was fine. We didn’t have a snow day and everybody else did. If it’s a rough morning and by putting it off two hours they can see that the snow is going to stop by seven, then that gives us plenty of time to get our lots clean and it counts as a full day and we don’t have to tack it on to the end of the year.”

School closings and snow schedule information will be available at mehlvilleschooldistrict.com, school Facebook pages, Twitter and on local TV and radio stations.