Winter Weather & Emergency Procedures

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Please use the information below to understand the district’s emergency building closure and school delay procedures.

SCHOOL DELAYS

If school is delayed due to dangerous conditions that are expected to significantly improve in a short period of time:
  • Spartan Kids' Care will start two hours later than normal.
  • School buses and all other school transportation will pick up students at their stops two hours later than normal.
  • Morning offerings, preschool classes, and morning and afternoon Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) and Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) classes, and early childhood screenings will be cancelled.
  • A decision will be made about evening ECFE classes later in the day.
Families will be notified with an automated call, email, and if they are opted in, text. Information will also be available through the district website www.isd199.org, www.facebook.com/isd199, www.twitter.com/isd199, and on Twin Cities television network affiliate stations and the WCCO-AM (830) radio station.  

WINTER WEATHER CLOSURES

Winter weather closures may be due to dangerous temperatures and wind chills, hazardous road conditions, and/or quickly accumulating snow or ice.
  • Cancelations will be considered if the National Weather Service forecast for 6:00 AM on the following morning shows a wind chill of below -35 degrees Fahrenheit OR an air temperature below -25 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Cancelations will also be considered if heavy snow and/or icy conditions make it extremely hazardous or impossible for buses to drive their routes and for employees to get to work safely.
  • The district will aim to make a decision by 5:45 AM the morning of the canceled school day.
  • Families will be notified with a direct call through the district automated calling system. Information will also be available at www.isd199.org, www.facebook.com/isd199, and www.twitter.com/isd199
  • The district will notify local TV and radio stations of closures to be announced on the air.
Cancelled:
  • Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE)
  • Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE)
  • Early childhood screenings
  • Spartan Kids' Care
  • After-school programs and extracurricular activities, except varsity athletics
  • Field trips
  • School events
  • Evening high school
  • Area learning centers
  • Family engagement activities (e.g. open houses, conferences)
Decided on an Individual Basis on Cold Days:
  • Varsity athletics cancelations are decided on an individual basis. Coaches will be in communication will varsity athletes.

If the weather becomes challenging during a school day, schedules may change. Changes would be announced through the automated call system as well as through the other usual options: the district website, social media, local radio, and television. Families are encouraged to develop a plan with their child to prepare for a possible early dismissal.

 

OTHER EMERGENCIES

School may also be closed or delayed due to dangerous non-winter weather, unforeseeable extenuating circumstances such as a power outage, and the like.
  • The district will notify families about emergency closings or delays not related to winter weather as soon as possible. Families will be notified of any cancelations or delays through the automated call system. Information will also be available on the district's website and social media.
  • Students may be released early in the event of an emergency.
  • Families are encouraged to develop a plan with their child to prepare for a possible early dismissal. Keep in mind that students may be evacuated in certain emergency situations and may not be able to go back into the building to get keys or other belongings.   

FLEX LEARNING

As in previous years, ISD 199 will have two winter weather closures before Flex Learning Days are declared and students continue their classwork from home. There will be no school expectations for student learning at home during the first two school cancelations. This includes both students who attend school in-person and those attending 199 Online High School. These two days will allow families and staff time to prepare for any Flex Learning Days.

On the third winter weather closure of the school year, Flex Learning days will begin. Teachers will send work with elementary school students, including preschoolers, before the Flex Learning Day or in an email to each child's parents/guardians. Middle and high school students will be expected to check Schoology for assignments. There will be no synchronous (Zoom) instruction on Flex Learning days, but teachers will be available by email and work phone during regular school hours to answer student or family questions.