They didn’t have school buses back then in 1882.”
They still don’t have school buses at the country school I attended in Kansas. We lived 3 miles from school. When it was snowy, my dad would wrap me in a blanket and tie me on the back of my horse and off we’d go to school. Teacher would untie everyone when they arrived, the horses spent the day in the lean to attached to the school and then the process would be repeated at the end of the day. Nobody missed a day - ever.
Even way back when I great up in another state only the elementary schools K-6th grade were within a real walking distance of the students ~ < 1 mile.
Junior HS and HS you are talking more like 10-20 miles aways from some students. Its similar here in Maryland. Its the East coast.
I recall being in Junior HS one day when it was snowing and the snow got heavier and heavier during the morning piling up and finally by noon they decided they better send us home.
Looking out of the school bus windows everything looked white and the bus kept slamming over street curbs BOOM-BOOM because the driver couldn't see them.
Here and now they cancel schools on a faulty forecast.