I would like to share a little background and then clarify our protocol.

First, please know that the safety of our students, parents, student drivers, and faculty is always paramount in our decision-making process. We do not want anyone, including children, to put themselves in harm’s way to come to school. If we choose to have school and you live in an outlying area, please do not hesitate to make a decision that is best for your circumstances. Also, if you feel it is best to have your student driver delay their arrival by an hour or two, that is entirely your decision.

That said, we also need to recognize that our county school friends face a whole different set of issues in their decision-making process. In years past, the Superintendent of Gaston County Schools and I have discussed some of these concerns. First, Gaston Christian School does not have the scale of bus transportation that Gaston County Schools or Gaston Day School does. We have the transit vans running between Shelby, Kings Mountain, and Gastonia, which we will factor into our decision.

When making our decision about the school closing, we also have to factor in the parents who depend on us to remain open. If we close, some will have difficulty finding and paying for child care and navigating the logistics of this activity.

When we have inclement weather, we try to get out in front of the decision and begin planning. Whenever possible, we try to make the decision the night prior to the closing. However, that is not always possible. My goal is to have a decision by 10:00 PM the prior evening or by 6:00 AM the following morning (if there are too many unknown issues).

Davidson Hobson, Head of Gaston Day School, and I also talk during these times. We have had 4:30 AM discussions about the NCDOT’s weather advisory, county school decisions in the surrounding area, and other relevant information. Furthermore, we are in communication with our SROs, who are in contact with the Gaston County Sheriff’s Office regarding the status of roads throughout the county. There are many factors that go into our decision-making process.

Once the decision is made, I call Randy Erwin, the Director of Communications for Gaston Christian School, and inform him. Mr. Erwin then sends out a GCS App Notification and FACTS email, and also posts the information on the GCS website, all GCS social media, and local TV station weather closings/delays lists (WBTV, WSOC, WCNC, News14, and Fox46).

While we get as much input as possible, I understand that any decision about school closure will make some of you very happy and others will strongly disagree. Many of you may have very different circumstances from another large group of parents here at GCS. My responsibility is to make the best decision with the information that I have for the specific situation. Sometimes I feel that I need the wisdom of Solomon to make the right call. Over the years, I had decided to close the school, and the weather shifted, making it a beautiful day. On other occasions, we have had school, and it was questionable whether that was the best decision.

Please understand that I will err on the side of caution. If we must make a difficult decision, we will. If you disagree, you are free to keep your children home or bring them in later.

Finally, please pray for me at these times. I want to make the best decision for the school, and I appreciate your prayers for wisdom as I make them.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Marc Stout, PhD