Shawnee Mission Northwest students were dismissed from school at 1:30 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 1, to safely navigate icy roads after 4.5 inches of snow fell in the surrounding area during the school day. 

This is the first time school has been canceled for inclement weather this year. All school evening events were also canceled for Monday. This early dismissal comes after the district’s decision not to cancel school this morning despite snow in the forecast. The district has not announced any plan for school tomorrow.

Principal Dr. Lisa Gruman said the district did not call a snow day today based on the forecast of only 1-3 inches of snow. “The models shift, and those are hard to predict, so I think everyone just does the best they can do,” Gruman said. 

Gruman believes this is SMNW’s first snow-related staggered dismissal in more than 10 years.