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Vail Daily letter: Student seeks answers from district superintendent

Rachel Landin
Vail, CO, Colorado

I had recently sent this letter to the Eagle County School District’s superintendent, Sandra Smyser, because I was very concerned with the events on April 29. I had waited for a reply but since I have never received one, I was hoping to get the message across through the Vail Daily.

“Dear Ms. Smyser,

“My name is Rachel Landin and I am a senior at Eagle Valley High School. As of now, I have a 4.02 cumulative GPA, ranked 25th in my class, am president of our LEO club, and was selected to be captain of my varsity softball, varsity alpine ski, and varsity golf teams. Next year I am attending Colorado State University with the intent of becoming a doctor.



“I would just like to say that I am absolutely, completely, utterly appalled that we did not receive a snow day, or even a delayed start for that matter, on Thursday, April 29.

“As you well know, there were multiple accidents today, and on my way to school, I was almost a part of one. The roads were so bad that even my friends from Bond and McCoy could not make it to school.

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“I find it to be completely irresponsible that you allowed us to proceed to school in such treacherous conditions.

“Yes we do live in the mountains, but that is no excuse for not granting a snow day when at my house in Eagle Ranch I had received 14 inches of fresh snow and the plows did not come through till after school had started.

“As for my fellow classmates who live in Eby Creek, the snow plows never went through the streets as far as I know. I also heard that an elementary school bus got stuck beneath Eagle Valley Elementary, causing the small children to have to walk in the snow to make it to school.

“I had contacted you earlier this year about snow in December that should have earned us a snow day, but I guess whiteout conditions aren’t enough to shut down the schools.

“Will it take a fatal car accident for you to realize that snow days must be taken on days like today? It offends me to see that your priorities are to keep school open even if innocent lives are in danger.

“Please consider what is at stake next time. Had I gotten into an accident, my full blame would have been on you.

“I would very much appreciate a response as to why you made the decision that you did.”

Rachel Landin

Eagle


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