School Closings and Winter Recess Guidelines

Emergency closings

School closures or early dismissals due to inclement weather or other emergencies only occur when absolutely necessary for the safety and welfare of students and staff.

Families will be notified of the decision to close school due to weather conditions by 6 a.m. - through the district’s automated phone system,  website, eNews, or the media.  

When school is closed or dismissed early, all evening-school activities will be canceled, including sports practices/games, student after-school activities, club meetings, continuing education, and community-related events.

Parent guidelines for early dismissal
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When students are dismissed early due to unforeseen situations – weather emergencies, loss of power, etc. – the district provides students with transportation home.

Parents/guardians need to provide the district with the Emergency Closing Data form, which is completed for all K-5 students and updated every year for grades 6-12. This card assists the school in making appropriate arrangements for each child.

Please be sure your child knows where to go in your neighborhood if a parent or caregiver is not home. In addition, please check with your daycare provider about whether they can receive your child at unexpected times.

Contact information, kept in your child’s records, should be kept current (telephone numbers, addresses, etc.) To add, delete or change data, please call your child’s school.
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Weather and recess guidelines

Many schools have temperature/weather guidelines to help determine whether recess is held indoors or outdoors. This helps to communicate with the parents and have a consistent understanding in our school. After researching the background and information on this we have set some minimum temperature/conditions.

Temperature/Wind Chill

Guidelines

Below 10 degrees

Indoor Recess

Below 15 degrees

Shortened Recess

Below 32 degrees

Gloves and Hats to go outside

Below 50 degrees

Coat and long pants

Below 60 degrees

Jacket or long sleeves

When temperatures are below 10 degrees Fahrenheit (normal temp. or wind chill) then recess will be indoors. Other conditions may include high wind warnings, pending storms, etc. Recess time is at the discretion of the classroom teacher.

So during this season please make sure your children dress appropriately for the weather: Hats, gloves/mittens, and boots are essential to keep the children safe and warm during the winter months. If you have any questions regarding recess please contact your child’s teacher.

School buses covered with snow
How is the decision made to close school?

One of the questions often asked is, “How do you make a decision about when to close school due to the weather?” With the holidays now behind us, it’s that time of year again when we talk about snow and frigid temperatures.

The decision to close school due to weather is not taken lightly. The process begins at 4 a.m.

Road conditions, visibility and wind chill are all factors taken into consideration when deciding whether or not to close school. Our first priority is determining whether we can transport students safely to and from school. Our second consideration is wind chill.

The Monroe County Health Department developed specific guidelines regarding wind chill factors, and included a CDC prevention guide at this link. When the wind chill drops to 25 degrees below zero or more, we are advised to close. When the wind chill is 16 to 25 degrees below zero, the decision is discretionary, depending on conditions.