The Dec. 11 ice storm left thousands without power and and curtailed the operation of many businesses and organizations throughout town, including the schools.

In New Boston, officials closed the Central School from Dec. 12 to 18. Students went back to school Friday, Dec. 19.

SAU 19 Assistant Superintendent of School Brian Balke said roads were impassible and generally unsafe to drive on. New Boston Central School also served as a shelter for the town during the aftermath of the storm, and it ran off a generator for a time.

Dunbarton schools were closed from Dec. 12 to 16, and Goffstown schools from Dec. 12 to 15. The SAU also had a twohour delay on Monday, Dec. 22.

With so many days of school missed already, many may be wondering if students will be going to school in July.

This is a call many school officials don’t plan to make until they see what else the winter has to bring.

“Our No. 1 focus is to make sure we have as much instructional time available to kids as possible,” said Balke. In Bow, schools were closed from Dec. 12 to 16. Though the schools weren’t official shelters, SAU 67 Superintendent Dean Cascadden opened the schools to residents for showers and Internet use.

According to Cascadden, road closures throughout the town made bus routes impassible. Cascadden said this year, the school has a new phone call system in place called Alert Now that was able to contact the entire school community about the school closures and shelter.

Though many people had no access to phones or Internet, the message was still delivered to approximately 75 percent of the call recipients, as people were able to get the message on their cellphones and Blackberrys.

“People really had a lot of patience and hung together,” said Cascadden. “People reached out to others in need.”

Hopkinton schools were only closed for one day, on Friday, Dec. 12.

“Some parents were pleased I opened the school on Monday,” said SAU 66 Superintendent Brian Blake. “Others were upset.”

The reasoning for opening the schools when many residents were without power was so students would have a warm, safe place to go, get a hot meal and have some sense of normalcy restored to their day. Students who didn’t go to school were excused. Blake said there was no flooding or burst pipes in any of the schools.

“We were lucky,” said Blake. At schools in Weare, students were out of school from Dec. 12 to 17. The middle school and safety complex were also used as shelters in the town. And on Monday, Dec. 22, John Stark students also had a twohour delay.

Will students be going to school past the end of the normal school year?

“We’ll make that determination as we proceed with the winter months,” said SAU 24 Superintendent Doug White.