Inclement Weather

Decision-making on school delays and closures and eLearning Days

The public expects school to be open and to provide education, meals, and other services to children when it is safe for them to be here. Closing school or delaying the opening of the school day is never easy. Weather conditions can range from freezing rain or sleet, to snowfall, extreme cold / wind chill, or fog. You can be assured that the Alexandria Community School Corporation takes your child’s safety and education very seriously. Multiple variables are taken into consideration when making the decision to close or delay school. As we enter the winter season it is important to know how decisions are made regarding school closures and delays.

Decisions to DELAY schools are based on:
• Providing more time for road crews to clear roads.
• Giving buses more time to warm up and adjust to the cold temperatures. Sometimes mechanical issues develop in extremely cold temperatures, so extra time is needed to address anything that arises.
• Waiting for daylight helps bus drivers and cars to see students when bus stops are not clear of snow.
• Making sure the forecast is accurate. There are times when the meteorologists get it wrong, so verifying the forecast is important.
• Allowing a couple extra hours can make a significant difference in the weather conditions. This is especially true when dealing with fog.
• Analyzing NOAA Wind Chill chart.

Decisions to CLOSE school are based on:
• Considering all travel warnings and advisories
• Analyzing NOAA Wind Chill chart
• Working with district and local personnel to determine if roads are safe or impassable.

eLearning Days for School Closure Due to Inclement Weather

Please make sure all of your contact information is up to date and on file with the schools so you receive all weather notifications.
eLearning:
The district will be using eLearning Days for most days when school is closed due to bad weather. The use of eLearning Days for snow will be used when a school closure can be predicted and K-2 iPads can be sent home with students. The school calendar does contain several snow make-up days if we are unable to predict the closure of school the day before. eLearning is the use of technology to enable students to learn anytime and anywhere. Alexandria Community Schools will use eLearning days for inclement weather and use a blended learning environment for students. Teachers will create standards-based lessons with resources and the assignment will be available through Canvas, our learning management system (LMS). Students will use the LMS to submit their completed assignments. Primary students will have a similar process related to their assigned lessons. The activities/project will reflect previous lessons and will provide an opportunity to apply what they have learned.