Dear Mansfield Families,

As I write this, I find myself reflecting on what a remarkable winter this has been! To date, our region has seen total seasonal snow accumulations exceeding thirty inches. Our students have embraced the winter weather, enjoying cross-country skiing and plenty of snow fun on our playgrounds. Many students have shared that they have never experienced this much snow before!

I am deeply appreciative of the collective efforts of our Town of Mansfield Facilities and Department of Public Works (DPW). Together, these teams have coordinated to move mountains of snow from our schools and ensure that roads are safe for bus travel. Attending to the needs of our community during significant snow events—such as the past two storms—is no easy task. Their tireless work allows our schools to open as soon as possible while keeping both staff and students safe.

In light of the recent multi-day closures, I want to share with our community the factors that guide these decisions. The choice to close school due to inclement weather is never made lightly, nor is it made independently. Because Ashford, Willington, and Mansfield all feed into our regional high school, we work collaboratively with these districts and other neighboring superintendents to ensure alignment. In addition, we rely on input from a variety of partners, including our contracted meteorologist, M&J Transportation, and the DPW.

The safety of Mansfield students and staff is our top priority. Road conditions play a significant role in our decision-making. Slick roads—particularly on back roads and hilly terrain—directly impact bus travel. When storms produce significant snowfall, such as the recent blizzard, DPW often requires additional time to properly clear side streets and ensure roads are navigable for buses.

Following the February 23rd blizzard, DPW crews worked more than 30 consecutive hours to keep roads passable. DPW and Mansfield’s Facilities Department are also responsible for clearing sidewalks and parking lots at our municipal and school facilities. While they made tremendous progress, school parking lots were not fully cleared until Tuesday morning. For example, Mansfield Elementary School requires a fleet of contracted trucks to remove accumulated snow. The sheer volume of snow from the blizzard required additional cleanup time, and without that work completed, bus travel would have been challenging at best.

The decision to close again on February 25th was based primarily on the timing and rate of snowfall. Snow was falling so quickly that road crews could not keep up, resulting in slick conditions throughout the morning commute window. Operating the three tiers of transportation for high school, middle school, and elementary school takes approximately 3.5 hours. Whether we ran on time or with a delay, transportation would have been significantly impacted. Our bus fleet cannot operate safely on snow-covered, icy roads, and we determined that conditions did not support safe travel for students and staff.

We understand that school closures can be disruptive for families. Please know that each situation is carefully evaluated with regional collaboration and real-time information from our partners. Ultimately, our responsibility is to ensure students and staff can travel to and from school safely.

In closing, “Think Spring!” In just four short weeks, we welcome the new season and all of the wonders it brings.

In Partnership,
Candace Morell

Superintendent of Mansfield Public Schools