UPDATE–FRAZIER PARK, LEBEC, PINE MOUNTAIN (Friday, Feb. 18, 2011 at 8:30 a.m.)–A two hour delay has been converted into cancellation of school for all El Tejon Unified School District students today, Friday, Feb. 18.

ETUSD director of transportation Fernando Nieto said that he and the school principals have decided to "err on the side of caution." He said "If it does start to really pour, that poses a safety concern for evacuating the students. We have to evacuate them all at the same time. Normally we transport Frazier Park School students home at the end of the 2 p.m. school day, and then at 3 p.m. transport the high school and El Tejon students. If we had to evacuate all of them simultaneously it does pose some [logistic] concerns.

"This morning when I drove the school bus routes I noticed there was some snow and ice so I called the two-hour delay. After talking with the principals today, we decided it was wiser to cancel school. We have seven snow days allocated and we’ve only used one so far this year. It is better to call it for the day. If we transport the kids in and then need to evacuate, it does not count as a full school day [for payment under state educational regulations]."

FRAZIER PARK, LEBEC, PINE MOUNTAIN (Friday, Feb. 18, 2011 at 5:30 a.m.)–A two-hour delay for all Mountain Community schools in the El Tejon Unified Schol Disrict has been called this morning by Fernando Nieto, director of transportation.He said it is for snow and ice.

In an early telephone call, Nieto said that he had driven the bus routes this morning and that there was snow fallng from the Mil Potrero ‘Y’ to Lake of the Woods. Although there was no snow activity at higher altitudes yet in Pine Mountain, Nieto said "It isn’t sticking yet, but we did not want to get caught [unprepared] in case the storm increases."  The National Weather Service has predicted a major "slow moving" storm which could bring snow and ice to as low as 3,000 feet.

This is part of the February 11, 2011 online edition of The Mountain Enterprise.

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