Students, Staff Respond to Recent Snow Day Decisions

Beginning on the night of January 24, 2026, nearly half of the Central and Eastern U.S. was hit by an intense snow storm which released intense winds and up to nearly 10 inches of snowfall. As a result of the storm, many schools closed on Monday, January 26, 2026, including Nutley High School. However, on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, school remained open for Nutley with its usual schedule of 8:05 to 2:45. Around 21 other schools in New Jersey adjusted their schedules that day.

On the morning of that day, students had to trudge through freezing temperatures and travel through huge snow piles to be able to get to school. While the sidewalks were already cleared, somehow the edges of the sidewalks connected to the crosswalks were not. This means that students who needed to walk to school were forced to climb over mounds of snow, which not only made it take longer to get to school, but also risked injury because kids had to potentially walk on ice or other slippery conditions. Many students had also ended up coming late as a result.

Soon after Tuesday, many students and staff expressed concerns over the school remaining open, arguing that it should have remained closed or had the first few hours delayed to spare students from the harsh weather conditions; but, what many are not sure of is how a “snow day” is determined by the town. 

According to Superintendent Kent Bania, a schedule change is determined by multiple groups. “Factors that determine delayed openings surround the readiness of our facilities for students and staff,” Bania said. “We decide on a delayed opening by looking at weather conditions, road safety, sidewalks and parking lots, and most importantly input from the district Buildings and Grounds, Nutley’s Public Works and Public Safety Departments, as well as the district's transportation staff.” This means that the decision to close school temporarily is determined by the township employees on the basis of whether it could potentially injure or otherwise pose a dangerous environment while students and staff are going to the building. Not only is this done by receiving confirmation from the Public Works system, but also by close analysis of the conditions of the town itself. 

The high school administration has a limited say in the matter. Principal Denis Williams said that they are not involved in deciding a closing or delayed opening. “Closings or delays are the call of the Superintendent in conjunction with the Buildings and Grounds Supervisor,” Williams said.

While it is only the district that makes the decision, many students themselves have varying opinions on snow days. Senior Kimberly Jerez said she didn’t agree with the district’s recent decisions and could have gone about it differently. “I feel like we should have been closed on those days, and it should have been paced out better,” she said. “I’ve been hearing people complain they had to walk through the snow in the morning, and I think it should have been handled better.” 

Senior Rocco Diliberto shares the opposite opinion. “I’m pretty satisfied,” he said. Diliberto drives to school. “Especially since it was snowing the day before, and it was pretty hard. Imagine if I was on the road that Monday trying to drive.”

It must be noted that students come to school in various ways, whether it be by foot or by vehicle. So while it should be prioritized for the roads to be cleared of debris, sidewalks and curbs should be considered in preventing injury