I don't totally disagree with you and I think they had to cancel based on the forecast (that isn't quite holding up), but we're getting pretty soft on these. A few inches of snow doesn't need to shut the world down, it's ND after all. You can always choose to keep your kids home if you wish, I know teachers are happy to email (or whatever platform) work home.
I disagree on one being able to keep their kids at home if they wish. Schools keep track of attendance for a reason, it's to be held against them...kind of preparing them for the workforce in that sense.
A "few inches" of snow on our somewhat warmed road surfaces quickly turns into a sheet of glare ice. I ran into exactly that last Friday heading home from work. We didn't get but one-tenth of an inch of snow and it had created a couple inches of ice on the pavement going to my place, all because the 3+ ft of cut through a snow drift that still exists serves as a snow trap, and then it melted and froze into some really crappy rutted up ice.
I'd rather find other ways to toughen up the kids than having them travel the 11 miles each way to school. Fender benders are expensive and they are still on my auto and health insurance.