Parents Upset That Traffic Gridlock, Weather Strands Kids at School

The Fulton County School System didn't wait too long to decide all schools would be closed on Wednesday. Many parents, however, are upset because their children still haven't made it home from shool today, even though dismissal came at 1:45 p.m.

Ana Maria Mosquera and her husband decided at 1 p.m. that he should go pick up their son from Cambridge High because roads were already dangerous. That was a full 45 minutes before students were dismissed.

It took three hours to reach the school and just before 5 p.m. they had been stuck in traffic for an hour already at the shool. They even picked up several of his son's friends as they also were stranded.

"Buses have not made it to the school and kids are currently stranded," Ana Maria said in a text message to Patch.

"I am a furious parent right now, and praying all kids, staff, teachers and parents stranded make it home safely," she said in a text.

The school system was caught by surprise when the storm arrived earlier and turned more serious within an hour of the first snowfall at noon, said Samantha Evans, a spokesperson for Fulton County Schools.

Not all parents realize that each bus has to run multiple routes, serving multiple schools. And it takes a long time to mobilize the buses with their drivers. The traffic gridlock is having the same effect on school buses as all other vehicles.

Staff will remain at county schools as long as necessary until all students are picked up, Evans said.

The traffic gridlock is preventing city and state road crews from treating all the roads. Until the traffic clears, it will be difficult for the work to be completed.

Private companies hired to clear parking lots have the same problems. They can't reach the parking lots, and until those lots empty of cars they can't plow and treat them. Most crews are stuck in the same traffic as everyone else.