Arctic Blast forced some schools to close

 By: Liz Tufts

The arctic blast, forcing a handful of school districts to close school all together today including Providence.

So, how do school officials make the call to keep kids at home?

24-thousand students attend Providence public schools and of that number, around 18–thousand kids either take the bus to school or walk.

School officials say because of that high number of children outside in dangerous temperatures, they didn’t want to take a chance.

“We have 84 percent poverty and many of our kids aren’t properly equipped for cold weather, “ says Christina O’Reilly, Director of Communications for Providence public schools.

Fall River and New Bedford school districts canceled school on Thursday as well.