Dec. 15, 2025 Editor, The News-Gazette: In a recent Facebook post, the Rockbridge County school district explained the metrics they use to determine whether or not schools will be closed for snow, explaining that they are most concerned about the safety of staff and students.
I can appreciate that, but as I look back on last week in which Rockbridge schools were closed Monday through Wednesday, with a virtual day on Friday, I can’t help but ask what is going on with snow removal in the county? How is it that roads that receive little sunlight are not being plowed or salted for days?
Beyond the loss of learning for students in county schools and the missed work that can accompany it, how are people leaving their homes to access necessities like groceries? What about medical emergencies? Do people who live on icy roads just have to cross their fingers that they don’t suffer a serious injury before the ice clears up? This is not only an educational issue, but a safety issue, and a foreseeable one. Winter is going to keep bringing snow to the Shenandoah Valley. Wouldn’t it be great if Rockbridge County didn’t have to be bowed by every snowfall and the chilly days that follow?
KIMBERLY ANDERSON Rockbridge County
