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Columbus Academy canceled classes on Tuesday, January 21, because of the freezing temperatures ranging from a low of 5 to a high of 14 degrees Fahrenheit. Students loved that they had an extra day of break following MLK Jr. Day, and I was glad to sleep in after watching Ohio State win the CFP for the first time since 2014. 

Wednesday carried the same sense of uncertainty as students wondered whether school would close again, as temperatures ranged from a low of 2 to a high of 16 degrees Fahrenheit. To many students’ surprise, school would only suffer a two-hour delay.

As inconvenient as a shortened day might feel, it’s better than missing an entire day of classes. Students were relaxed coming off of a four-day weekend, and missing another day would feel excessive. Important lessons and lectures would otherwise have to be rescheduled or skipped entirely, leaving everyone behind and adding unnecessary pressure to make up for lost time.

Columbus Academy’s decision to implement a two-hour delay instead of canceling classes altogether may not have been popular with some of the upper school’s lower level students, but it was a practical one as the shortened day ensured that valuable academic time wasn’t lost. Balancing safety with academic priorities is never easy, but in this case, the compromise allowed students to stay on track while allowing them to sleep in for an extra two hours.