Update: Students stuck at school till 11 p.m. Monday as ‘tricky’ storm hits St. Paul

Hundreds of St. Paul students were stranded at school Monday afternoon after the day’s snowstorm delayed their buses — in some cases by more than five hours.

As of 9 p.m., some students were still at school waiting to be picked up, said Toya Stewart Downey, spokeswoman for St. Paul Public Schools. Several parents and teachers reported that a handful of students remained at school until nearly 11 p.m.

The district has canceled classes on Tuesday.

“Saint Paul Public Schools offers its sincerest apologies to the students, staff and the families who were impacted by buses that were delayed by many hours,” the district said in a news release. “We know that it was both a concern and a hardship for those whose children arrived home several hours after the school day had ended. We are immensely thankful for the staff that remained at the schools to care for our students well into the evening hours.”

Monday’s forecast called for up to 10 inches of snow in some parts of the Twin Cities, which prompted some districts to cancel classes. SPPS did not.

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“The decision to keep the District open today (Jan. 22) was based on the forecast and what we believed was the best course of action for our students,” the district’s statement said. “Had we known that the City of Saint Paul was going to get up to 8 inches of snow between 2 and 6 p.m., SPPS may have taken a different course of action.”

The district alerted parents to the busing delays with automated phone messages.

The district said that because of Monday’s situation and the likelihood of continuing difficult transportation conditions, all school and school-related activities would be canceled Tuesday.

Minneapolis Public Schools also announced Monday night that Tuesday classes would be canceled.

Many parents and concerned citizens took to social media to voice their frustrations with the district. Some took the chance to thank teachers, staff and bus drivers for helping students through the ordeal.

Dear @JoeGothard and @SPPS_News: Nearly 20 neighbors worked together for over two hours to free a stuck school bus. Kids on the bus for hours. We fed them, called parents. No response from dispatch when the first day driver asked for help. There has got to be a better plan. — Mark B (@markprofessor) January 23, 2018

https://twitter.com/katie_stp/status/955613005730983936

Shout out to all our amazing @SPPS_News staff for staying extra late and ensuring that our children were well cared for. You are all amazing! Now, kick up your feet, have an extra cup of coffee in the morning and enjoy the snow day tomorrow! — Ryan Vernosh (@RyanVernosh) January 23, 2018

So glad we open enrolled into @isd622! I'm confused by this response since every news station was forecasting 6-12 inches (at least) and that the worst would be between noon and 6 pm. Do better!!! The kids, staff, bus drivers and worried parents deserve it! — Brooke Falbo (@brookefalbo) January 23, 2018

Had you known? Every other district In the area knew…. my older kids had school cancelled. We knew last night. My kindergarten student in SPPS got home at 9pm! This was ridiculous! — Chris McDonald (@chrismcd01) January 23, 2018

@SPPS_News Thank you endlessly to our bus drivers and our SPPS staff who have remained at school for HOURS with our students. All staff members must be compensated for this over-time without question. @SPFT28 — Becky McCammon (@MsMcCammon) January 23, 2018