I remember having to literally take my life in my hands driving over sheer glazed ice to get to school about a decade ago. Upon arrival, I found the few kids who had made it had been herded into the auditorium to watch a feature film, as too many faculty had not been able to make it in to hold classes. Three-quarters of the students hadn't come in, either. And yet, he refused to close schools.
Follow the money. They wouldn’t get a chunk of their all-important state and especially Federal $$$ if they didn’t keep the schools open.