Superintendent says student safety comes first in school closures

The roads are clear, so why don’t we have school?  That’s what you might think, but it’s far from the truth, according to Lee County Superintendent Earl Ray Shuler.

Lee County schools have been closed for going on eight days now due to a severe temperature drop.

According to the all call and text to parents, Shuler says the safety of the students is his top priority when making these decisions. After Shuler and his staff checked the roads on Tuesday, there were not enough improvements to bus turnarounds. patchy spots and shoulders with snow/ice because of lower temperatures.

Having talked to Superintendent Shuler in the past, I know that he considers all aspects of the students in various situations, so his decisions concerning school closings never comes lightly for him. He knows that the schools provide a need for some that need food, shelter and even water. He has even made the schools available for people of the county when there are power outages, etc. when school is not even in session.

Our superintendent is a definite man of the community. He is not just a superintendent, he volunteers for the Bear Track Fire Dept. He has been a coroner. He is a Shriner, a Mason, and any other community outreach that he can be involved in, he is. I can not emphasize enough how much the wellbeing of students and this community means to him. 

He retired as an educator years ago with his own family to look out for, but came back to be the superintendent for the love of the students and this community, Education and the students are important to Earl Ray Shuler. Lee County is important to Earl Ray Shuler too. Lee County is as much a part of him as the air he breathes.

I tell you all of this to say, "Trust the process. It is going to be fine. Trust that those who care for our children truly care and are just looking out for the best interest of them always, whether it be rain (snow in our case) or shine. They will always make the best choice for our students thanks to the leadership of our very own Lee County Superintendent Earl Ray Shuler. "