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Anne Arundel Co. Schools: 'We Made The Wrong Call'

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP/WJZ) -- Anne Arundel County school officials are apologizing for not delaying the start of school because of bad weather.

Mamie J. Perkins, the interim schools superintendent, says in a letter to parents and employees that officials examined weather reports and consulted with other agencies before deciding to start class on time Friday morning.

But freezing rain and cold weather caused traffic problems and sparked complaints from some parents.

Perkins says in the letter that school officials tried to make the correct decision but ultimately erred. She says officials would have made a different decision if they had to do it over again.

"We made the wrong call," Perkins wrote in the letter. "The ultimate call is our school system's and our school system's alone. It is made by a group of human beings who truly are working hard and doing their level best to make correct decisions. We as a system are not perfect, and we should not be afraid to admit when we err. In this case, we clearly could have done better."

She says any students who missed class Friday or came late received an excused absence and will be able to make up any missed work.

County Executive Laura Neuman said that she understands the difficulty of making a decision on the opening of schools, but encouraged the school system to find ways to arrive at better outcomes in questionable weather conditions.

"The school system is a great partner in our county and I respect the difficult position they were in Friday morning," County Executive Neuman said. "Our personnel provide input in such situations, but we have no say in the final decision as that belongs to the school system. We all want the same things for our children and parents, and I hope that the review Mrs. Perkins is conducting leads to changes that prevent this from happening again."

To see the full letter to parents and employees, click here.

(Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

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