Even before the first major snowstorm of the season, Lawrence County's school districts are preparing to face the wrath of Old Man Winter.

"It plays havoc when school is closed," said Symmes Valley Superintendent Tom Ben. "The kids are out of their routines and they have different schedules from their parents. It's very disruptive to the routine for the family.

"But we have to contend that every winter, it is subject to be there. We have to deal with it as best as we can."

Like all other county school districts, the Symmes Valley district was hit hard last winter with snow days, particularly during last February's ice storms. While the state allows for five calamity days, the district used nine. The district not only had to deal with impassible roads, but also had to deal with families having no electricity for several days, Ben said.

The decision to cancel school is very difficult and time consuming, Ben said. At Symmes Valley, decisions are almost always made in the early morning hours and are rarely made the night before unless it is "very, very obvious" that conditions are not favorable to have school the next day. Ben said he usually begins his process by contacting his transportation director and individual bus drivers regarding the road conditions. He also contacts other superintendents to see what is happening in their areas. Decisions are then generally made at 5:30 a.m. the next morning because several employees such as custodians, cooks and bus drivers are preparing to go to work the next day.

However, surprises often occur with the weather, Ben said. The weather may suddenly become worse when everyone is en route to school for the day or after everyone is at school.

Canceling school in the middle of the day is also a difficult decision, Ben said.

Even if the weather seems to be bad enough to send students home, the situation may improve enough by the end of the school day, he said.

Transporting the students home at the normal time, as a result, would be safer. Sending young children home early may not be the safest option. Many parents would not be home from work in time, he said.

Last year, the South Point district had to make up four school days because of snow.

"We are at the mercy of Mother Nature, and it can't always be predictable," said Superintendent Ken Cook.

Like Ben, Cook's decision of whether or not to close or delay school means communication between himself and district transportation officials. He said he will try to make the decision overnight to get it on 11 p.m. television newscasts. If that is not possible, he will try to make his decision by 6 a.m. the next morning.

"We do not want to take a chance with our students and employees," Cook said. "We err on the side of caution because we do not want to jeopardize their safety."

Dr. James Payne, Dawson Bryant superintendent, said besides checking the roads, the district must also check the buildings and their surrounding areas to make sure they are safe for the school day as well. He said his decision is usually made at 5:30 a.m. Last year, days were subtracted from the district's spring break because it went "well above" the five-day limit, he said.

"We have to ask, 'Can we safely go to school?," Payne said. "And I say 'safely' in capital letters because the bottom line is that we make sure that we get to school safely."

Situations are different for every school district, even within the county, Payne said. Dawson-Bryant covers 99 square miles while others are significantly larger or smaller with significantly different terrain. Sometimes, he said, superintendents are given a hard time when school is not canceled in the middle of the day when bad weather strikes, but often, weather is forecasted to improve by the end of the school day and transporting students as a storm is striking would be far more dangerous.

"We do not want to make a haphazard decision and put people out into the weather," he said.

"What we try to do is provide a safe environment whether it be on the bus or in the buildings. Everyone in this county makes a tremendous effort to do the right thing. If students are in danger in any way, school is canceled. That is a good philosophy to have."

Ironton Superintendent Dean Nance said school officials in the city district will make every effort to keep school open, even on days when the weather starts out a bit blustery.

Nance said school officials will try to use one- and two- hour delays as much as possible. Using delays will allow road workers to clear snow-covered roadways and school custodial workers to clean the ice and snow off parking lots and sidewalks. If necessary, the delay can be upgraded to a full closure.

"Principals at each of the schools have developed schedules so that students don't miss work," Nance said. "Schedules will be adapted to a shorter day

during times when school is delayed."

Nance said the school will make every effort not to dismiss schools early, as this may send students home with no parental supervision.

Nance said school officials will try to provide information to local media by 5:30 on mornings when there are delays or closure. School announcements will be provided

television stations and

radio stations. Information will

also be on the district's Web site, tigertown.com.

Nance said that school officials are keeping their finger crossed for a mild winter. They're also engaging in a bit of humorous wishful thinking.

"We're doing our best to make sure all of the bad weather comes on the weekends," Nance laughed, "after the kids are all home on Friday nights."

Ironton Tribune reporter Teresa Moore contributed to this report