Due to extreme cold temperatures, all schools in Lawrence County closed for multiple days this week.

Such a move is taken primarily to keep students from having to wait outside for a school bus in the coldest hours of a day, before the sun has fully risen to even slightly warm up the winter air.

As the news was announced, there was a reaction from many across the social feeds of media outlets in our region, in which people questioned the decision.

The bulk of the sentiment was along the predictable, curmudgeonly lines of “In my day, we had to go to school, no matter how cold it was.”

Whether this was the case, or the usual tall tale of “walking in five feet of snow barefoot each way,” it does not matter.

Children have no business waiting in such temperatures.

While some have the luxury of being dropped off at school, or having a bus stop right in front of their house, many, especially in the rural parts of the county do not.

It takes only a short time in the cold for effects of hypothermia or frostbite to set in.

Throw in the possibility of icy roads, and it is clear school officials made the right choice.

Just as local groups offered warming stations throughout the county, it is good to know that there were those working through the cold blitz to take the health of students into account.

School officials did the right thing by closing classes this week.