Parents, children react to school cancellation

RICHMOND, VA (WWBT) - Schools in Richmond, Hanover and Henrico will be out Friday after only a week in session courtesy of Hurricane Florence.

Henrico fourth-grader Riley Guthrow has mixed feelings about it.

“Sad but happy,” Riley said. “Why sad? I love my teacher. Why happy? Cause I don’t have to wake up so early.”

Her mom doesn’t have any mixed feelings. She says it’s the right way to go.

“We’re talking about the safety of our children so I think that they made the right call in deciding to go ahead and close,” Becky Guthrow said. “And if we don’t get hit by the storm, then so be it.”

Greg Cochran expressed the same sentiment for his two children, who attend school in Richmond.

“I think it’s awesome that they’re taking the precaution beforehand. It’s not quite like snow,” Cochran said. “Anytime they think it’s going to snow, they close. But this is serious.”

Despite the serious nature of the threat, some are still disappointed.

"I really do want to go to school because you know we had all summer out of school,” Cochran’s daughter said.

And Cochran said the extra time with the kids Friday will certainly not drive him crazy.

“Absolutely not, they have their own room which they will be able to hang out in,” Cochran said. “Yeah, that’s the way it’s going to be."

It’s an unexpected three-day weekend that parents don’t regret.

"Better safe than sorry,” Cochran said.

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